Optical fiber holder, stub holder, and fusion splicer

Abstract

This optical fiber holder (A) holds a first optical fiber to be fused and can be installed in a fusion splicer. The optical fiber holder (A) is provided with: a base part (10) on which the first optical fiber is disposed; and a lid part (30) that is disposed to face the base part (10) and can be opened and closed. One of the base part (10) and the lid part (30) has a plunger (12). The other of the base part (10) and the lid part (30) has an engagement part (36) that engages with the plunger (12).

Description

Optical fiber holders, stub holders, and fusion splicers

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146076, filed on September 8, 2023, and incorporates by reference the entire contents of said Japanese application.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to an optical fiber holder that simplifies the fusion splicing operation of optical fibers and eliminates the need for excess length processing. This optical fiber holder includes a termination process fixing structure. The termination process fixing structure positions and fixes a termination process in which an optical fiber is inserted into a ferrule with the bare fiber protruding from the rear. The optical fiber holder further includes a structure that engages with a positioning guide formed on an optical fiber fusion splicer and is mounted at a predetermined position on the optical fiber fusion splicer.

[0003] JP 2013-92810 A International Publication No. 2008 / 059843

[0004] When splicing optical fibers, the optical fibers are held by a holder. The holder has a base and a lid that can be opened and closed relative to the base. The optical fiber is held by being sandwiched between the base and lid of the holder. In a typical holder, when the lid of the holder is closed, the lid is fixed to the base by, for example, a magnet. Meanwhile, the fusion spliced ​​portion of the optical fiber is protected by a fusion sleeve. In many cases, the fusion sleeve has a metal plate. Before fusion splicing, such a fusion sleeve must be threaded over the optical fiber. In addition, when the fusion spliced ​​portion is provided in an optical connector, a coil spring provided in the optical connector must be threaded over the optical fiber in advance. For example, magnetic members such as the metal plate of the fusion sleeve and the coil spring of the optical connector are attracted to magnets. Therefore, when a magnetic member is provided inside or near the holder, it is difficult to position the magnetic member in the desired position, reducing work efficiency.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical fiber holder, a stub holder, and a fusion splicer that are less likely to reduce work efficiency when arranging a magnetic member at a predetermined position within or near the holder.

[0006] An optical fiber holder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an optical fiber holder that holds a first optical fiber to be fused and is installable in a fusion splicer. The optical fiber holder includes a base portion in which the first optical fiber is disposed, and a lid portion that is disposed opposite the base portion and can be opened and closed. One of the base portion and the lid portion has a plunger. The other of the base portion and the lid portion has an engaging portion that engages with the plunger.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an optical fiber holder, a stub holder, and a fusion splicer that are less likely to reduce work efficiency when arranging a magnetic member at a predetermined position inside or near the holder.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fusion splicer. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an optical connector. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fusion sleeve. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a stub holder. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a stub holder. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a stub holder. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder according to a first modified example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an optical fiber holder according to the first modified example. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder according to a second modified example. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing an optical fiber holder according to the second modified example. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining problems with the optical fiber holder of the comparative example and the effects of the optical fiber holder of the embodiment.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] An optical fiber holder according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an optical fiber holder that holds a first optical fiber to be fused and can be installed in a fusion splicer. The optical fiber holder includes a base in which the first optical fiber is disposed, and a lid that is disposed opposite the base and can be opened and closed. One of the base and the lid has a plunger. The other of the base and the lid has an engagement portion that engages with the plunger.

[0010] In the optical fiber holder described above in [1], the lid is fixed to the base by engaging the engaging portion with the plunger. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a magnet to fix the lid. This allows magnetic members, such as the metal plate of the fusion sleeve and the coil spring of the optical connector, to be positioned in a predetermined position within or near the holder without being attracted to the magnet. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical fiber holder in which the work efficiency when positioning magnetic members is not likely to decrease.

[0011] [2] In the optical fiber holder of [1] above, the base may have a housing portion for housing a fusion sleeve for protecting the fusion spliced ​​portion of the first optical fiber and a coil spring disposed on the outer periphery of the fusion sleeve. This allows the fusion sleeve and the coil spring to be housed inside the optical fiber holder. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove a long length of the outer sheath of the optical fiber cable to retract the fusion sleeve and the coil spring during the fusion splicing operation.

[0012] [3] In the optical fiber holder of [2] above, the cover may have a first protrusion that protrudes toward the base and presses the first optical fiber. When an opening is provided in a side wall of the fusion sleeve closer to the cover with respect to the central axis of the fusion sleeve, the first protrusion can pass through the opening of the fusion sleeve and press and hold the first optical fiber.

[0013] [4] In the optical fiber holder of [3] above, the lid may further include a second protrusion that protrudes toward the base and presses the first optical fiber. The base may further include a third protrusion that protrudes toward the lid and presses the first optical fiber. When viewed from the direction in which the base and lid face each other, the first protrusion, the third protrusion, and the second protrusion may be arranged in this order in the extension direction of the first optical fiber. The width of the third protrusion in the extension direction may be greater than the distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion. If an opening in the fusion sleeve is also provided on the side wall on the base side with respect to the central axis of the fusion sleeve, the first protrusion, the second protrusion, and the third protrusion can pass through the opening in the fusion sleeve and press and hold the first optical fiber from both the base side and the lid side. This allows for more stable holding of the first optical fiber. In addition, the order of the first protrusion, the third protrusion, and the second protrusion prevents the coil spring from interfering with the protrusions, making it possible to press and hold the first optical fiber while maintaining balance.

[0014] [5] A stub holder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a stub holder that holds a ferrule of a stub having a second optical fiber to be fused and a ferrule that holds the second optical fiber, and is installable in a fusion splicer. The stub holder includes a base on which the ferrule is disposed, and a lid disposed opposite the base and that can be opened and closed. One of the base and the lid has a plunger. The other of the base and the lid has an engagement portion that engages with the plunger.

[0015] In the stub holder described above in [5], the cover is secured to the base by engaging the plunger with the engaging portion. This eliminates the need for a magnet to secure the cover. This allows magnetic members, such as the metal plate of the fusion sleeve and the coil spring of the optical connector, to be positioned in a predetermined position within or near the holder without being attracted to the magnet. This makes it possible to provide a stub holder that does not reduce work efficiency when positioning magnetic members.

[0016] [6] A fusion splicer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an optical fiber holder according to any one of [1] to [4], a stub holder according to [5], and a fusion splicing unit, which fusion splices a first optical fiber led out from the optical fiber holder and a second optical fiber led out from the stub holder by electric discharge.

[0017] The fusion splicer of [6] above includes any one of the optical fiber holders of [1] to [4] and the stub holder of [5]. Therefore, it is possible to provide a fusion splicer that is less likely to reduce work efficiency when placing a magnetic member in a predetermined position within or near the holder.

[0018] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the optical fiber holder, stub holder, and fusion splicer of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In the following description, the same elements in the drawings will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0019] 1 is a perspective view showing a fusion splicer 300. The fusion splicer 300 includes an optical fiber holder A, a stub holder D, and a fusion splicing mechanism 301. Typically, the optical fiber holder A and the stub holder D are each removably provided on the fusion splicer 300. In other words, the optical fiber holder A and the stub holder D are installable on the fusion splicer 300. The optical fiber holder A holds a first optical fiber to be fused. The stub holder D holds a second optical fiber to be fused. The fusion splicing mechanism 301 fusion-splices these optical fibers to each other by electrical discharge heating.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an optical connector 400 including optical fibers fusion-spliced ​​by a fusion splicer 300. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. The optical connector 400 includes a fusion sleeve 150, glass optical fibers 101 and 203, a coated optical fiber 102, a ferrule 202, a coil spring 105, and a housing 401. The housing 401 is generally cylindrical. The housing 401 accommodates the fusion sleeve 150, the glass optical fibers 101 and 203, and the coated optical fiber (ribbon fiber) 102, and holds a ferrule 202. The ferrule 202 is disposed at the front of the optical connector 400. The ferrule 202 is generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped. The ferrule 202 is made of, for example, resin. The ferrule 202 holds a glass optical fiber 203. The coil spring 105 is provided on the outer periphery of the fusion sleeve 150 and applies a biasing force to the ferrule 202. The material of the coil spring 105 is a ferromagnetic metal such as iron, mild steel, or stainless steel. The coil spring 105 is a compression spring that can expand and contract in the extension direction of the optical connector 400.

[0021] The fusion spliced ​​portion 402 between the glass optical fiber 101 and the glass optical fiber 203 is housed inside the fusion sleeve 150. The fusion sleeve 150 protects the fusion spliced ​​portion 402. The fusion sleeve 150 is housed inside a housing 401. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fusion sleeve 150, which is, for example, a heat-shrinkable fusion sleeve, before being heat-shrunk. The fusion sleeve 150 includes an inner tube 153, an outer tube 154, and a rigid body 155.

[0022] The outer tube 154 surrounds the outside of the inner tube 153. The inner tube 153 and the outer tube 154 are tubular and extend in the x-direction, which is the central axis direction. Openings 151 and 152 are provided in the side walls of the inner tube 153 and the outer tube 154, which are located on the opposite side of the rigid body 155 from the central axis of the fusion sleeve 150. Openings 156 and 157 are provided in the side walls of the inner tube 153 and the outer tube 154, which are located on the rigid body 155 side from the central axis of the fusion sleeve 150. Openings 151 and 152 communicate with the inner tube 153 and the outer tube 154. Openings 156 and 157 communicate with the inner tube 153, the rigid body 155, and the outer tube 154.

[0023] The inner tube 153 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as ethylene vinyl acetate resin. The inner tube 153 melts when heated and hardens when cooled, protecting the glass optical fibers 101 and 203. The outer tube 154 is made of a heat-shrinkable resin such as polyolefin or polyethylene. The outer tube 154 shrinks when heated.

[0024] The rigid body 155 is provided at a portion of the circumference between the inner tube 153 and the outer tube 154. The rigid body 155 has a plate shape and extends in the x-direction. The cross section of the rigid body 155 is, for example, U-shaped. The cross section of the rigid body 155 may be rectangular, elliptical, circular, or semicircular. The material of the rigid body 155 may be, for example, a ferromagnetic metal such as iron, mild steel, or stainless steel, or may be ceramic or glass.

[0025] Next, the optical fiber holder A shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail. FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing the optical fiber holder A. FIG. 5 shows the optical fiber holder A with the lid 30 open, and FIG. 6 shows the optical fiber holder A with the lid 30 closed and holding a coated optical fiber 102. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6. The optical fiber holder A is an optical fiber holder that holds a coated optical fiber 102, which is a resin-covered portion of a glass optical fiber 101 to be fused. The optical fiber holder A includes a base 10 and a lid 30. The material of the optical fiber holder A may be a metal such as mild steel, surface-treated steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, or copper alloy, or a resin such as engineering plastic.

[0026] The base 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The base 10 has a groove 16, a housing 11, a corner 21, a main surface 22, and a crimping portion housing 27. The groove 16 is provided on the main surface 22 at the rear of the base 10 and extends along the x direction. The cross section of the groove 16 perpendicular to the x direction is, for example, semicircular. An optical fiber cable 100, which is a portion in which a coated optical fiber 102 is covered with an outer jacket 103, is placed in the groove 16. The cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber cable 100, i.e., the cross-sectional shape of the outer jacket 103, is, for example, circular.

[0027] The accommodating portion 11 accommodates the coated optical fiber 102, a fusion sleeve 150 arranged around the coated optical fiber 102, and a coil spring 105 arranged around the fusion sleeve 150. The accommodating portion 11 is provided on the central axis L of the base 10, at the front end portion (the end portion in the x-direction) of the base 10. The accommodating portion 11 extends in the x-direction. The accommodating portion 11 includes a mounting surface 13. The mounting surface 13 is a flat, front surface of the base 10. The fusion sleeve 150 and the coil spring 105 are arranged on the mounting surface 13. Protrusions 14 and 15 (third protrusions) are provided on the mounting surface 13. The protrusion 14 is provided at the rear portion of the mounting surface 13, and the protrusion 15 is provided at the front portion of the mounting surface 13. The protrusions 14 and 15 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protrusions 14 and 15 protrude from the mounting surface 13 toward the lid 30. When the lid 30 is closed, the coated optical fiber 102, the fusion sleeve 150, and the coil spring 105 are housed in the housing 11. In this state, the protrusions 41, 42, 51, and 52 contact the coated optical fiber 102. The protrusion 14 passes through a gap in the coil spring 105 and an opening 156 in the fusion sleeve 150 (see FIG. 4 ) to press against the coated optical fiber 102. The protrusion 15 passes through a gap in the coil spring 105 and an opening 157 in the fusion sleeve 150 (see FIG. 4 ) to press against the coated optical fiber 102.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the optical fiber cable 100, the coated optical fiber 102, the fusion sleeve 150, and the coil spring 105 are disposed in the base 10. The portion of the coated optical fiber 102 disposed in the housing portion 11 is exposed from the jacket 103 of the optical fiber cable 100. The portion of the coated optical fiber 102 disposed in the base 10 behind the housing portion 11 is covered by the jacket 103. A crimped portion 104 is provided at the boundary where the coated optical fiber 102 is exposed from the jacket 103. The end of the jacket 103 in the x-direction is fixed to the crimped portion 104. The material of the crimped portion 104 is a ferromagnetic metal such as iron, mild steel, surface-treated steel, or stainless steel. The crimped portion housing portion 27 houses the crimped portion 104.

[0029] Referring to Figure 5, the corner 21 is provided at the front of the base 10 and is spaced apart from the central axis L of the base 10. The plunger 12 is embedded inside the corner 21. A gap 17 is provided adjacent to the corner 21 behind the corner 21 of the base 10.

[0030] The lid portion 30 is generally plate-shaped. The lid portion 30 is disposed opposite the base portion 10 and can be opened and closed. The lid portion 30 has a back surface 31, holding portions 40 and 50, a protrusion 34, and a shaft portion 35. The back surface 31 is a flat surface facing the base portion 10. The holding portion 40 includes a protrusion 41 (first protrusion) and a protrusion 42 (second protrusion). The holding portion 50 includes a protrusion 51 (first protrusion) and a protrusion 52 (second protrusion). The holding portion 40 is provided in the center of the back surface 31. The holding portion 50 is provided in the front portion of the back surface 31. That is, the protrusions 41, 42 and the protrusions 51, 52 are provided on the back surface 31. The protrusions 41, 42 and the protrusions 51, 52 have a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protrusions 41, 42 and the protrusions 51, 52 protrude from the back surface 31 toward the base 10. When the lid 30 is closed, the coated optical fiber 102, the fusion sleeve 150, and the coil spring 105 are housed in the housing 11. In this state, the protrusions 41, 42, 51, 52 press against the coated optical fiber 102. As shown in FIG. 7 , the protrusions 41, 42 pass through the gaps in the coil spring 105 and the opening 151 in the fusion sleeve 150 (see FIG. 4 ) to press against the coated optical fiber 102. The protrusions 51, 52 pass through the gaps in the coil spring 105 and the opening 152 in the fusion sleeve 150 (see FIG. 4 ) to press against the coated optical fiber 102.

[0031] Referring again to Figure 5, the protrusion 34 is provided facing the base 10, near the center of the lid 30 in the x direction, and to the side of the holding portion 40. The protrusion 34 protrudes from the lid 30 toward the base 10. When the lid 30 is closed, the protrusion 34 fits into the gap 17. A recess 36 (engagement portion) that engages with the plunger 12 is provided on the side surface of the protrusion 34 facing forward.

[0032] In the base 10, the plunger 12 is provided so as to penetrate the corner 21 along the x direction. The plunger 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and in one example, the plunger 12 is a ball plunger. The ball portion of the plunger 12 is exposed from the corner 21 toward the gap 17. The plunger 12 is made of, for example, a metal. The ball portion of the plunger 12 fits into the recess 36, thereby restraining the lid 30 to the base 10. The ball portion of the plunger 12 moves away from the recess 36, thereby releasing the restraint between the base 10 and the lid 30.

[0033] The shaft 35 is provided on the opposite side of the holding portion 40 from the protruding portion 34. In addition, the shaft 35 is provided on the opposite side of the corner portion 21 from the accommodation portion 11 of the base 10, and is fitted into the gap 18 of the base 10. The shaft 35 has a shaft (not shown). By fitting the shaft into the gap 18, the lid 30 can be opened and closed in a rotational direction around the axis along the x direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the optical fiber holder is viewed from the direction in which the base 10 and the lid 30 face each other with the lid 30 closed, the protrusions 41, 14, and 42 are aligned in this order in the x direction. The width of the protrusion 14 in the x direction is greater than the gap between the protrusions 41 and 42. In other words, when the optical fiber holder is viewed from the same direction in this state, the protrusion 14 partially overlaps both the protrusions 41 and 42. When the optical fiber holder is viewed from the same direction in this state, the protrusions 51, 15, and 52 are aligned in this order in the x direction. The width of the protrusion 15 in the x direction is greater than the gap between the protrusions 51 and 52. In other words, when the optical fiber holder is viewed from the same direction in this state, the protrusion 15 partially overlaps both the protrusions 51 and 52.

[0035] Next, the stub holder D shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail. FIGS. 8 to 10 are perspective views showing the stub holder D. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the lid 90 is open. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a state in which the lid 90 is closed and the stub holder D holds a stub 200. FIG. 10 shows the structure of the stub holder D below the lid 90, with the lid 90 visible through the lid. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG. 10. The stub holder D holds a stub 200. The stub 200 has a glass optical fiber 203 to be fused, a ferrule 202 that holds the glass optical fiber 203, a cap 201 that holds the ferrule 202, and a string 204 extending rearward from the cap 201. The stub holder D holds the ferrule 202 of the stub 200 together with the cap 201.

[0036] The stub holder D includes a base 70 and a lid 90. The base 70 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The base 70 has a mounting surface 74, an auxiliary portion 75, a groove 72, a corner portion 71, and a main surface 77. The mounting surface 74 is provided at the front of the base 70. The mounting surface 74 is provided along the central axis M of the base 70. The mounting surface 74 constitutes a part of the upper surface of the base 70 and is flat. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , a ferrule 202 is placed on the mounting surface 74 together with a cap 201.

[0037] As shown in Figure 8, the groove 72 extends in the x direction from the mounting surface 74 toward the rear of the stub holder D. The groove 72 is provided in the main surface 77 at the rear of the base 70. The cross section of the groove 72 perpendicular to the x direction is rectangular. A string 204 is placed in the groove 72.

[0038] The corner 71 is provided at the front of the base 70 and is spaced apart from the central axis M of the base 70. The corner 71 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. A plunger 73 is provided inside the corner 71. A gap 76 is provided adjacent to the corner 71 behind the corner 71 of the base 70.

[0039] The auxiliary portion 75 is provided adjacent to the rear of the mounting surface 74. A groove 72 extends from a main surface 77 on the surface of the auxiliary portion 75 facing the lid portion 90.

[0040] The lid 90 has a generally plate-like shape and is disposed opposite the base 70 when the lid 90 is closed. The lid 90 can be opened and closed. The lid 90 has a protrusion 91 and a shaft 92. The lid 90 has openings 93 and 94 at its rear in the x-direction and at its center in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction. The opening 93 has, for example, an oval shape. The opening 94 has, for example, a shape formed by two connected circles. When the lid 90 is closed, the ferrule 202 and the cap 201 can be seen through the openings 93 and 94. This makes it possible to check whether the ferrule 202 and the cap 201 are securely fixed.

[0041] The protrusion 91 faces the base 70, is provided at the center of the lid 90 in the x direction, and near the tip of the lid 90 in the direction perpendicular to the x direction. The protrusion 91 protrudes from the lid 90 toward the base 70. When the lid 90 is closed, the protrusion 91 fits into the gap 76 of the base 70. A recess 95 (engagement portion) that engages with the plunger 73 is provided on the side surface of the protrusion 91 facing rearward.

[0042] The plunger 73 is provided so as to penetrate the corner 71 along the x direction. The plunger 73 has a generally cylindrical shape, and in one example, the plunger 73 is a ball plunger. The ball portion of the plunger 73 is exposed from the corner 71 toward the gap 76. The plunger 73 is made of, for example, a metal. The ball portion of the plunger 73 fits into the recess 95, thereby restraining the lid portion 90 to the base 70. The ball portion of the plunger 73 moves away from the recess 95, thereby releasing the restraint between the base 70 and the lid portion 90.

[0043] The shaft 92 is provided on the opposite side of the opening 94 from the protrusion 91. The shaft 92 is provided on the opposite side of the groove 72 in the base 70 from the corner 71, and is fitted into the gap 78 in the base 70. The shaft 92 has a shaft (not shown). By fitting the shaft into the gap 78, the lid 90 can be opened and closed in a rotational direction around the axis along the x direction.

[0044] The effects obtained by the optical fiber holder A having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 16( a) is a diagram for explaining the problems of the optical fiber holder E, which is a comparative example. When the glass optical fibers 101 and 203 are fusion-spliced ​​to connect them, the coated optical fiber 102 is held by the optical fiber holder E. In the optical fiber holder E, the base 501 and the cover 502 of the optical fiber holder E are fixed to each other by magnets, thereby holding the coated optical fiber 102. Meanwhile, the fusion splice portion 402 is protected by a fusion sleeve 600. The fusion sleeve 600 has a rigid body made of metal. Before fusion splicing, the fusion sleeve 600 must be passed over the coated optical fiber 102. In addition, when the fusion splice portion 402 is provided in the optical connector 400 as in this embodiment, the coil spring 105 provided in the optical connector 400 must be passed over the coated optical fiber 102 in advance. For example, if the rigid body of the fusion sleeve 600 and the coil spring 105 of the optical connector 400 are magnetic, they will be attracted to the magnet. Therefore, if a magnet is placed inside or near the optical fiber holder E, it will be difficult to place the magnetic member in the desired position, which will reduce work efficiency.

[0045] In contrast, in the optical fiber holder A of this embodiment, the cover 30 is fixed to the base 10 by the plunger 12 engaging with the recess 36. This eliminates the need to use a magnet to fix the cover 30. As a result, when components such as the rigid body 155 of the fusion sleeve 150, the coil spring 105 of the optical connector 400, and the crimped portion 104 are magnetic components, the magnetic components can be placed in a predetermined position, such as within or near the optical fiber holder A, without being attracted by a magnet. This makes it possible to provide an optical fiber holder in which work efficiency is less likely to decrease when placing magnetic components.

[0046] As in this embodiment, the base 10 may have a housing portion 11. In the optical fiber holder A, the fusion sleeve 150 and the coil spring 105 are housed in the housing portion 11 of the optical fiber holder A. This allows the fusion sleeve 150 and the coil spring 105 to be housed inside the optical fiber holder A.

[0047] The optical fiber holder E shown in FIG. 16( a) does not have a housing portion 11. Therefore, when the coated optical fiber 102 is held by the optical fiber holder E and the glass optical fiber is fusion-spliced, the fusion sleeve 600 needs to be positioned away from the fusion splicer 500. The inner diameter of the fusion sleeve 600 is smaller than the diameter of the jacket 103 of the optical fiber cable 100. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16( a), a long section of the jacket 103 is removed, and the fusion sleeve 600 is then positioned in the removed section. After the fusion sleeve 600 protects the fusion spliced ​​portion 402, a protective tube (not shown) is provided in the removed section of the jacket 103 to protect that section. At this time, because a long section of the jacket 103 has been removed, the protective tube becomes long. The flexural rigidity of the protective tube is greater than the flexural rigidity of the optical fiber cable 100. Therefore, the longer the protective tube, the more difficult it is to handle the optical fiber cable 100.

[0048] 16(b), the optical fiber holder A of this embodiment can accommodate the fusion sleeve 150 and the coil spring 105 inside the optical fiber holder A. This eliminates the need to remove a long length of the outer sheath 103 of the optical fiber cable 100 in order to retract the fusion sleeve 150 and the coil spring 105 during the fusion splicing operation.

[0049] As in this embodiment, the lid 30 may have protrusions 41 and 51. When openings 151 and 152 are provided in the side wall of the fusion sleeve 150 closer to the lid 30 with respect to the central axis of the fusion sleeve 150, the protrusions 41 and 51 can pass through the openings 151 and 152 of the fusion sleeve 150 to press and hold the coated optical fiber 102.

[0050] As in this embodiment, the lid 30 may further have protrusions 42 and 52 in addition to the protrusions 41 and 51, and the base 10 may have protrusions 14 and 15. This allows the coated optical fiber 102 to be pressed and held from both the base 10 side and the lid 30 side when openings 156 and 157 are further provided in the side wall of the fusion sleeve 150 on the base 10 side with respect to the central axis of the fusion sleeve 150. Therefore, the coated optical fiber 102 can be held more stably. In addition, depending on the arrangement of the protrusions, it is possible to prevent the coil spring 105 from interfering with each protrusion, and to press and hold the coated optical fiber 102 while maintaining balance.

[0051] The effects obtained by the stub holder D are as follows. In the stub holder D, the cover 90 is fixed to the base 70 by the recess 95 engaging with the plunger 73. This eliminates the need to use a magnet to fix the cover 90. As a result, magnetic members such as the rigid body 155 of the fusion sleeve 150, the coil spring 105 of the optical connector 400, and the crimped portion 104 can be placed near the stub holder D, for example, inside the optical fiber holder A, without being attracted to the magnet. This makes it possible to provide a stub holder in which the work efficiency when placing magnetic members is not likely to decrease.

[0052] The fusion splicer 300 of this embodiment includes an optical fiber holder A and a stub holder D. Therefore, it is possible to provide a fusion splicer in which the work efficiency when arranging the magnetic member is not likely to decrease.

[0053] (First Modification) FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder B according to a first modification. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber holder B shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the lid portion 30B of the optical fiber holder B is open. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the lid portion 30B is closed and the optical fiber holder B holds a coated optical fiber 102. The optical fiber holder B differs from the optical fiber holder A in the following respects, but is otherwise identical. The optical fiber holder B includes a base 10B instead of the base 10, and a lid portion 30B instead of the lid portion 30. The base 10B does not have the protrusions 14 and 15 on the mounting surface 13. Instead, the base 10B includes a fixing surface 19. The fixing surface 19 is provided at the front (end side) of the base 10B and is adjacent to the storage portion 11. The surface of the fixing surface 19 is flat. One end of the fusion sleeve 160 is placed on the fixing surface 19 .

[0054] The lid portion 30B has a back surface 31B instead of the back surface 31. The back surface 31B faces the base portion 10B. The retaining portions 40 and 50 are not provided on the back surface 31B, but instead a retaining portion 50B is provided. The retaining portion 50B includes a protrusion 51B. The retaining portion 50B is provided at the front of the back surface 31B. In other words, the protrusion 51B is provided at the front of the back surface 31B. The protrusion 51B has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and protrudes from the back surface 31B toward the base portion 10B when the lid portion 30B is closed.

[0055] A fusion sleeve 160 and a coil spring 105 are disposed in the accommodation portion 11 of the optical fiber holder B. Unlike the fusion sleeve 150 of the above embodiment, the fusion sleeve 160 does not have an opening in its side wall. The coated optical fiber 102 is sandwiched between the fixing surface 19 of the base 10B and the protrusion 51B of the lid 30B via the fusion sleeve 160. The coated optical fiber 102 is held in place by being pressed from both sides in the opposing direction of the base 10B and the lid 30B.

[0056] The fusion splicer 300 of the above embodiment may include an optical fiber holder B in place of the optical fiber holder A. The optical fiber holder B having the above configuration also provides the same effects as the optical fiber holder A.

[0057] (Second Modification) FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber holder C according to a second modification. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber holder C shown in FIG. 14. The optical fiber holder C differs from the optical fiber holder B in the following respects, but is otherwise identical. The optical fiber holder C includes a lid portion 30C instead of the lid portion 30B. The lid portion 30C has a back surface 31C instead of the back surface 31B. A thick portion 33 is provided at the front of the lid portion 30C. The thickness of the thick portion 33 in a direction perpendicular to the back surface 31C is greater than the thickness of the portion of the lid portion 30C facing the storage portion 11. Furthermore, a holding portion 50C is provided at the center of the thick portion 33 in a direction perpendicular to the x direction, instead of the holding portion 50B. The holding portion 50C includes a protrusion 51C. The protrusion 51C is substantially rectangular and is embedded in the thick portion 33. A portion of the protrusion 51C, including the surface facing the base 10B, is exposed from the thick portion 33. When the lid 30C is closed, the protrusion 51C protrudes from the thick portion 33 toward the base 10B. A fusion sleeve 160 is placed in the optical fiber holder C. At that time, the coated optical fiber 102 is sandwiched between the fixing surface 19 of the base 10B and the protrusion 51C of the lid 30B, via the fusion sleeve 160. As a result, the coated optical fiber 102 is pressed from both sides in the direction in which the base 10B and the lid 30C face each other.

[0058] The fusion splicer 300 of the above embodiment may include an optical fiber holder C in place of the optical fiber holder A. The optical fiber holder C having the above configuration also provides the same effects as the optical fiber holder A.

[0059] The present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments and modified examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modified examples, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, an example is shown in which, in the optical fiber holder A, the plunger 12 is provided in the base 10 and the recess 36 is provided in the lid 30. The plunger 12 may be provided in the lid 30 and the recess 36 may be provided in the base 10. In the stub holder D, an example is shown in which the plunger 73 is provided in the base 70 and the recess 95 is provided in the lid 90. The plunger 73 may be provided in the lid 90 and the recess 95 may be provided in the base 70.

[0060] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10B, 70, 501... Base 11... Storage portion 12, 73... Plunger 13, 74... Mounting surface 14, 15, 41, 42, 51, 51B, 51C, 52... Protrusion 16, 72... Groove 17, 18, 76, 78... Gap 19... Fixing surface 21, 71... Corner portion 22, 77... Main surface 27... Crimping portion storage portion 30, 30B, 30C, 90, 502... Cover portion 31, 31B, 31C... Back surface 33... Thick portion 34, 91... Protrusion 35, 92... Shaft portion 36... Recess 40, 50, 50B, 50C... Holding portion 75... Auxiliary portion 93, 94, 151, 152, 156, 157... Opening 95... Recess DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100...Optical fiber cable 101...Glass optical fiber 102...Coated optical fiber 103...Outer jacket 104...Crimped portion 105...Coil spring 150, 160, 600...Fusion sleeve 153...Inner tube 154...Outer tube 155...Rigid body 200...Stub 201...Cap 202...Ferrule 203...Glass optical fiber 204...String 300...Fusion splicer 301...Fusion splicing mechanism 400...Optical connector 401...Housing 402...Fusion splicing portion 500...Fusion splicer A to C, E...Optical fiber holder D...Stub holder L, M...Central axis

Claims

1. An optical fiber holder that holds a first optical fiber to be fused and can be installed in a fusion splicer, comprising: a base on which the first optical fiber is disposed; and a lid that is disposed opposite the base and can be opened and closed, one of the base and the lid has a plunger, and the other of the base and the lid has an engagement portion that engages with the plunger.

2. An optical fiber holder as described in claim 1, wherein the base portion has a housing portion that houses a fusion sleeve for protecting the fusion spliced ​​portion of the first optical fiber and a coil spring that is arranged on the outer periphery of the fusion sleeve.

3. The optical fiber holder according to claim 2, wherein said cover portion has a first protrusion that protrudes toward said base portion and presses said first optical fiber.

4. The optical fiber holder of claim 3, wherein the lid portion further has a second protrusion protruding toward the base and pressing against the first optical fiber, the base portion further has a third protrusion protruding toward the lid portion and pressing against the first optical fiber, when viewed from the direction in which the base and the lid portion face each other, the first protrusion, the third protrusion, and the second protrusion are arranged in this order in the extension direction of the first optical fiber, and the width of the third protrusion in the extension direction is greater than the distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

5. A stub holder capable of being installed in a fusion splicer, the stub having a second optical fiber to be fused and a ferrule that holds the second optical fiber, the stub holder comprising: a base on which the ferrule is disposed; and a lid disposed opposite the base and that can be opened and closed, one of the base and the lid having a plunger, and the other of the base and the lid having an engagement portion that engages with the plunger.

6. A fusion splicer comprising: an optical fiber holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a stub holder according to claim 5; and a fusion splicing section that fusion-splices the first optical fiber led out from the optical fiber holder and the second optical fiber led out from the stub holder by electric discharge.

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