Optical fiber processing tool and method for cutting optical fiber

Abstract

The present invention is an optical fiber processing tool comprising: a fiber holder for holding an optical fiber in a state in which an end section of the optical fiber is extended out from the fiber holder on one side; a coating stripper for removing a coating of the optical fiber; a base member for supporting the coating stripper; and a fiber cutting part for cutting a bare section of the optical fiber, wherein after the fiber cutting part cuts the bare section, the fiber holder moves relative to the fiber cutting part.

Description

Optical fiber processing tool and optical fiber cutting method

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-088012, filed May 30, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a field-assembled optical connector. The field-assembled optical connector is an optical connector that is assembled to an optical fiber at the location where the optical fiber is laid. Such an optical connector is assembled to the end of an optical fiber extracted from an optical fiber cable or the like. Conventionally, multiple tools have been used to process the optical fiber and assemble the optical connector. For example, there are a coating removal tool for removing the coating from the optical fiber, a cutting tool for cutting the bare portion of the optical fiber, a fixing tool for fixing the optical fiber to the optical connector, and the like.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-143921

[0004] When processing optical fibers to assemble optical connectors, switching between tools reduces work efficiency. Also, there is the issue of making it difficult to collect the fiber debris that is generated when cutting the bare portion of the optical fiber.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an optical fiber processing tool and an optical fiber cutting method that have good work efficiency and can easily collect fiber debris after cutting the bare portion of the optical fiber.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, aspect 1 of the present invention is an optical fiber processing tool comprising: a fiber holder that holds an optical fiber with an end of the optical fiber extended to one side; a coating stripper that removes the coating from the optical fiber; a base member that supports the coating stripper; and a fiber cutting unit that cuts the bare portion of the optical fiber, wherein after the fiber cutting unit cuts the bare portion, the fiber holder moves relative to the fiber cutting unit.

[0007] Aspect 2 of the present invention is an optical fiber processing tool according to Aspect 1, further comprising a fiber holder support base that holds the fiber holder, and a fiber cutting unit support base that holds the fiber cutting unit, wherein the fiber holder support base and the fiber cutting unit support base are detachably fixed.

[0008] Aspect 3 of the present invention is an optical fiber processing tool according to aspect 2, in which the fiber holder support base is provided with a first magnetic member, and the fiber cutting unit support base is provided with a second magnetic member that generates a magnetic force between itself and the first magnetic member.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the optical fiber processing tool according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a fiber cutting unit support base that holds the fiber cutting unit, and a biasing member that biases the cutting blade upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base is provided between the fiber cutting unit support base and the cutting blade of the fiber cutting unit.

[0010] Aspect 5 of the present invention is an optical fiber processing tool according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, further comprising an extraction mechanism that is rotatably fixed around a rotation center relative to the base member and that extracts fiber debris including the removed coating and the cut bare portion, the extraction mechanism having a holding surface on which the fiber debris is held and a pressing portion that is arranged on the opposite side of the holding surface across the rotation center.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a method for cutting an optical fiber, comprising a coating removal step of removing a coating from an optical fiber, and a bare portion cutting step of cutting a bare portion of the optical fiber, wherein in the bare portion cutting step, the bare portion is cut with the tip of the bare portion positioned inside the removed coating debris.

[0012] According to the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical fiber processing tool and an optical fiber cutting method that can easily and reliably collect fiber debris after cutting the bare portion of the optical fiber.

[0013] 1 is a perspective view of the optical fiber processing tool of the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cross section taken along line III-III in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the base member and the fiber cutting unit support base of the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the fiber holder support base and the fiber cutting unit support base of the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the take-out mechanism of the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining the work procedure and the operation of each part when processing an optical fiber using the optical fiber processing tool of the present embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the work procedure and the operation of each part when processing an optical fiber using the optical fiber processing tool of the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the work procedure and the operation of each part when processing an optical fiber using the optical fiber processing tool of the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the work procedure and the operation of each part when processing an optical fiber using the optical fiber processing tool of the present embodiment;

[0014] The optical fiber processing tool of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the optical fiber processing tool 1 includes a fiber holder 10, a fiber holder support base 20, a coating stripper 30, a handle portion 40, a base member 50, a fiber cutting unit 60, a fiber cutting unit support base 70, an extraction mechanism 80, and a connector holder 90. The fiber holder 10 is capable of holding an optical fiber F. The connector holder 90 is capable of holding an optical connector C. However, the optical fiber processing tool 1 does not necessarily have to include the connector holder 90.

[0015] The optical fiber F has a bare portion f1 and a coating f2 that covers the bare portion f1 (see FIG. 3). The bare portion f1 is made of, for example, glass. The bare portion f1 includes a core and a cladding that covers the core. The coating f2 is made of, for example, resin.

[0016] The optical fiber processing tool 1 has a coating removal function, a cutting function, and an assembly function. The coating removal function is a function of partially removing the coating f2 of the optical fiber F from the optical fiber F to expose the bare portion f1. The cutting function is a function of cutting the bare portion f1 of the optical fiber F. The assembly function is a function of assembling the optical fiber F into the optical connector C. However, the optical fiber processing tool 1 does not necessarily have to have the assembly function.

[0017] <Direction Definition> The optical fiber F is held in the fiber holder 10 so that the end of the optical fiber F extends from the fiber holder 10 by a predetermined length. In this specification, the direction in which the end of the optical fiber F extends from the fiber holder 10 is referred to as the extension direction X. The extension direction X coincides with the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber F. A direction perpendicular to the extension direction X is referred to as the orthogonal direction Y. A direction perpendicular to both the extension direction X and the orthogonal direction Y is referred to as the up-down direction Z.

[0018] The fiber holder 10 and the coating stripper 30 are arranged side by side in the extension direction X. In the extension direction X, the side from the fiber holder 10 toward the coating stripper 30 is referred to as the +X side. The opposite side is referred to as the -X side. The coating stripper 30 and the connector holder 90 are arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction Y. In the orthogonal direction Y, the side from the connector holder 90 toward the coating stripper 30 is referred to as the back side or +Y side. The opposite side is referred to as the front side or -Y side. In the vertical direction Z, the side to which the optical fiber F moves when it is removed from the fiber holder 10 is referred to as the top side or +Z side. The opposite side is referred to as the bottom side or -Z side.

[0019] <Overall Configuration> The fiber holder 10 holds the optical fiber F with the end of the optical fiber F extended. The fiber holder support base 20 supports the fiber holder 10. The fiber holder support base 20 is attached to the base member 50 so as to be movable in the extension direction X and the perpendicular direction Y. When the fiber holder support base 20 moves relative to the base member 50, the fiber holder 10 also moves integrally with the fiber holder support base 20 relative to the base member 50.

[0020] The coating stripper 30 is disposed on the +X side of the fiber holder 10. The coating stripper 30 is supported by a base member 50. The coating stripper 30 removes the coating f2 from the end of the optical fiber F extended from the fiber holder 10. The removed coating f2 debris is also referred to as coating debris f2' (see FIG. 9 ). The coating stripper 30 is operated by manipulating a handle portion 40.

[0021] The handle portion 40 is a portion that is operated by a user. The handle portion 40 is disposed on the +X side of the coating stripper 30. The handle portion 40 is supported by a base member 50. Operation of the handle portion 40 is transmitted to the coating stripper 30.

[0022] The fiber cutting unit 60 is disposed on the +X side of the fiber holder 10. The fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare portion f1 of the optical fiber F from which the coating f2 has been partially stripped by the coating stripper 30. Scraps of the bare portion f1 after cutting are also referred to as bare portion scraps f1' (see FIG. 9).

[0023] The fiber cutting unit support base 70 supports the fiber cutting unit 60. The fiber cutting unit support base 70 is attached to the base member 50 so as to be movable in the extension direction X. When the fiber cutting unit support base 70 moves relative to the base member 50, the fiber cutting unit 60 also moves integrally with the fiber cutting unit support base 70 relative to the base member 50. The fiber cutting unit support base 70 is detachably fixed to the fiber holder support base 20.

[0024] The removal mechanism 80 is used to remove fiber scraps Fs (see FIG. 9 ) after cutting the bare portion f1 of the fiber F. The fiber scraps Fs include coating scraps f2′ and bare portion scraps f1′. In this embodiment, the fiber scraps Fs are a combination of the coating scraps f2′ and bare portion scraps f1′. In other words, when cutting the bare portion f1, the coating f2 on the tip side of the fiber F covers at least a portion of the bare portion f1.

[0025] The connector holder 90 is disposed on the −Y side of the coating stripper 30. The connector holder 90 is supported by the base member 50. The connector holder 90 holds the optical connector C. The optical fiber F, whose bare portion f1 has been cut by the fiber cutting unit 60, is connected to an embedded fiber (not shown) that is embedded in the optical connector C.

[0026] <Detailed Structure of Each Part> <Fiber Holder and Fiber Holder Support Base> The fiber holder 10 holds the optical fiber F. The fiber holder 10 is detachable from the fiber holder support base 20. For example, multiple types of fiber holders 10 may be prepared depending on the type (thickness, etc.) of the optical fiber F. In this case, by replacing the fiber holder 10, the optical fiber processing tool 1 can process various types of optical fibers F.

[0027] 2 , the base member 50 includes a base member main body 51, a first guide portion 52, and a second guide portion 53. The base member main body 51 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the extension direction X. The base member main body 51 supports the coating stripper 30, the handle portion 40, and the connector holder 90. The first guide portion 52 guides the movement of the fiber holder 10 and the fiber holder support base 20 in the orthogonal direction Y. The second guide portion 53 guides the movement of the fiber holder 10 and the fiber holder support base 20 in the extension direction X.

[0028] The first guide part 52 is fixed to the end part on the -X side of the base member main body part 51. The second guide part 53 is attached to the first guide part 52 so as to be movable in the orthogonal direction Y. Specifically, the first guide part 52 has a first guide rail 52a extending in the orthogonal direction Y. The second guide part 53 is formed with a first guide groove 53a extending in the orthogonal direction Y and engaging with the first guide rail 52a. As the second guide part 53 moves, the fiber holder support base 20 also moves in the orthogonal direction Y relative to the first guide part 52.

[0029] The fiber holder support base 20 is attached to the second guide portion 53 so as to be movable in the extension direction X. Specifically, the fiber holder support base 20 has a second guide rail 20a extending in the extension direction X. The second guide portion 53 is formed with a second guide groove 53b extending in the extension direction X and engaging with the second guide rail 20a.

[0030] With the above configuration, the fiber holder 10 is movable in the extension direction X between a coating cutting position P11, a bare portion cutting position P12, and a removal position P13 (see FIGS. 7 to 9). The coating cutting position P11 shown in FIG. 7 is the position of the fiber holder 10 when the coating stripper 30 makes a slit in the coating f2. The bare portion cutting position P12 shown in FIG. 8 is the position of the fiber holder 10 when the fiber holder 10 is farther away from the coating stripper 30 than the coating cutting position P11 and the bare portion f1 is cut by the fiber cutting unit 60. The removal position P13 shown in FIG. 9 is a position where the fiber holder 10 is farther away from the coating stripper 30 than the bare portion cutting position P12.

[0031] The fiber holder 10 is also movable in the orthogonal direction Y between an optical fiber cutting position and a splicing position. The optical fiber cutting position is a position corresponding to the coating stripper 30 and the fiber cutting unit 60 in the orthogonal direction Y, where the coating stripper 30 removes the coating f2 from the optical fiber F and the fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare portion f1. The splicing position is a position corresponding to the connector holder 90 in the orthogonal direction Y, where the optical connector C held by the connector holder 90 is connected to the optical fiber F. In the following description, a state in which the fiber holder 10 is located at the optical fiber cutting position in the orthogonal direction Y and at the coating cutting position P11 in the extension direction X is referred to as an initial state.

[0032] 1, the coating stripper 30 includes a first stripper blade 31 and a second stripper blade 32. The first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32 are arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction Y.

[0033] The tip of each of the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32 functions as a cutting blade that cuts a slit in the coating f2 of the optical fiber F. In order to prevent damage to the bare portion f1, the tip of each of the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32 is formed with an avoidance recess (not shown) that forms a gap through which the bare portion f1 can pass.

[0034] <Handle Section> The handle section 40 includes a first handle 41 and a second handle 42. The first handle 41 and the second handle 42 are arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction Y. The second stripper blade 32 is supported at the tip end (the end on the −X side) of the first handle 41. The first stripper blade 31 is supported at the tip end (the end on the −X side) of the second handle 42. When a user operates the base end (the end on the +X side) of the first handle 41 and the base end (the end on the +X side) of the second handle 42 to move closer to each other, the tip end of the first stripper blade 31 and the tip end of the second stripper blade 32 move closer to each other. As a result, the optical fiber F is clamped between the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32, and a cut is made in the coating f2 of the optical fiber F.

[0035] 3, the fiber cutting unit 60 includes a cutting blade 61, a cutting blade fixing part 62, and a cutting clamp 63. The cutting blade 61 is fixed to the upper part of the cutting blade fixing part 62. The cutting clamp 63 is disposed above the cutting blade 61. A pressing part 63a is provided at the lower end of the cutting clamp 63 to press the bare part f1 against the cutting blade 61.

[0036] The cutting clamp 63 is supported on the fiber cutting unit support base 70 so as to be rotatable about a first axis O1 along the extension direction X. As a result, the cutting clamp 63 is movable between a state in which it is spaced apart from the cutting blade 61 (hereinafter also referred to as an open state) as shown in FIG. 3 and a state in which it rotates about the first axis O1 and approaches the cutting blade 61 (hereinafter also referred to as a closed state). The cutting clamp 63 is biased downward (i.e., toward the closed state) by a clamp biasing member 64. When the cutting clamp 63 is in the closed state, the pressing portion 63a of the cutting clamp 63 presses the bare portion f1 against the cutting blade 61, thereby cutting the bare portion f1. Note that in the initial state, the cutting clamp 63 is in the open state, and the rotational movement of the cutting clamp 63 is restricted by a restricting member (not shown) provided on the base member 50.

[0037] <Fiber cutting unit support base> The fiber cutting unit support base 70 is supported on the base member main body 51 of the base member 50 so as to be movable in the extension direction X. A guide shaft G extending in the extension direction X is fixed to the base member main body 51. A guide hole 70a through which the guide shaft G is inserted is formed in the fiber cutting unit support base 70. The guide shaft G guides the movement of the fiber cutting unit support base 70 relative to the base member main body 51.

[0038] The fiber cutting unit support base 70 includes a first support portion 71 that supports the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing portion 62, and a second support portion 72 that supports the cutting clamp 63. The first support portion 71 and the second support portion 72 are arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction Y.

[0039] The first support portion 71 supports the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing portion 62 so that they can move in the up-down direction Z relative to the first support portion 71. Specifically, a downwardly recessed accommodating recess 71a is formed in the first support portion 71. The cutting blade fixing portion 62 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 71a from above. A spring accommodating recess 62a is formed in the cutting blade fixing portion 62, which is recessed upward. A biasing member 73 is provided between the bottom surface (upward facing surface) of the accommodating recess 71a and the top surface (downward facing surface) of the spring accommodating recess 62a. The biasing member 73 biases the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing portion 62 upward relative to the first support portion 71.

[0040] In the initial state, the upward movement of the cutting blade fixing part 62 is restricted by the base member main body 51 of the base member 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the base member main body 51 has a restricting surface 51a facing downward. The restricting surface 51a is disposed so as to overlap with the handle part 40 when viewed from the vertical direction Z. The cutting blade fixing part 62 has a restricted surface 62b facing upward. In the initial state, the restricted surface 62b abuts against the restricting surface 51a from below. This restricts the upward movement of the cutting blade fixing part 62.

[0041] Furthermore, when the fiber cutting unit support base 70 moves from the initial state toward the −X side relative to the base member 50, the cutting blade fixing part 62 also moves toward the −X side relative to the base member 50. As a result, the contact between the regulating surface 51a and the regulated surface 62b is released, and the cutting blade fixing part 62 and the cutting blade 61 move upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base 70 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 73. The base member main body 51 is provided with a first inclined surface 51b that slopes upward from the regulating surface 51a toward the −X side.

[0042] The cutting blade fixing portion 62 is provided with a second inclined surface 62c that slopes downward from the regulated surface 62b toward the +X side. The cutting blade fixing portion 62 and the cutting blade 61 gradually move upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base 70 while the first inclined surface 51b and the second inclined surface 62c are in contact with each other, thereby smoothly moving upward. In the illustrated example, the first inclined surface 51b is linear and the second inclined surface 62c is curved when viewed from the orthogonal direction Y. Both the first inclined surface 51b and the second inclined surface 62c may be linear or curved when viewed from the orthogonal direction Y, or the first inclined surface 51b may be curved and the second inclined surface 62c may be linear.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 face each other in the extension direction X. The first end 21 located on the +X side of the fiber holder support base 20 faces the second end 74 located on the -X side of the first support portion 71 of the fiber cutting unit support base 70. The first end 21 has a first abutment surface 21a facing the +X side. The second end 74 has a second abutment surface 74a facing the -X side. In the initial state, the first abutment surface 21a and the second abutment surface 74a abut each other.

[0044] A first magnetic member 22 is embedded in the first end 21. The first magnetic member 22 is provided so as to be exposed at the first abutment surface 21a. A second magnetic member 75 is embedded in the second end 74, generating a magnetic force (attraction force) between itself and the first magnetic member 22. The second magnetic member 75 is provided so as to be exposed at the second abutment surface 74a. The first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75 may be magnets. One of the first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75 may be a magnet, and the other may be a metal member or the like that is attracted to the magnet. The first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75 attract each other by magnetic force, thereby detachably fixing the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70.

[0045] In the initial state, the fiber cutting unit support base 70 is connected to the fiber holder support base 20 by the first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75. Therefore, as the fiber holder support base 20 moves in the extension direction X, the fiber cutting unit support base 70 also moves in the extension direction X. That is, as the fiber holder 10 moves in the extension direction X, the fiber cutting unit 60 also moves in the extension direction X. As shown in Figure 7, when the fiber holder 10 is in the coating cutting position P11, the fiber cutting unit 60 is located in the storage position P21. As shown in Figure 8, when the fiber holder 10 moves from the coating cutting position P11 to the bare part cutting position P12, the fiber cutting unit 60 moves from the storage position P21 to the exposure position P22.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 , in the storage position P21, the fiber cutting unit 60 (the cutting blade 61, the cutting blade fixing unit 62, and the cutting clamp 63) is positioned to overlap the handle unit 40 when viewed from the vertical direction Z. The cutting blade 61 is positioned on the +X side of the coating stripper 30. The cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing unit 62 are stored below the coating stripper 30 and the handle unit 40. The regulated surface 62b of the cutting blade fixing unit 62 abuts against the regulating surface 51a of the base member main body 51 from below, thereby regulating the upward movement of the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing unit 62. By storing the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing unit 62 below the coating stripper 30 and the handle unit 40, the optical fiber processing tool 1 can be made smaller in size in the extension direction X. The cutting clamp 63 is in an open state, and its rotational movement is regulated by a regulating member (not shown) provided on the base member 50.

[0047] 8 and 11 , at the exposed position P22, the fiber cutting unit 60 (the cutting blade 61, the cutting blade fixing part 62, and the cutting clamp 63) is positioned so as not to overlap with the coating stripper 30 and the handle part 40 when viewed from the vertical direction Z. The cutting blade 61 moves to the −X side relative to the coating stripper 30 and becomes exposed from the coating stripper 30 and the handle part 40. The restricting surface 51a and the regulated surface 62b are released from contact, and the cutting blade 61 and the cutting blade fixing part 62 move upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base 70 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 73. The restriction on the rotational movement of the cutting clamp 63 by the restricting member of the base member 50 is released, and the cutting clamp 63 moves to the closed state.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6 , the take-out mechanism 80 is disposed on the +X side of the sheath stripper 30. The take-out mechanism 80 is supported by the handle portion 40 so as to be rotatable about a second axis O2 (rotation center) along the orthogonal direction Y. The take-out mechanism 80 has a pressing portion 81 and a holding surface 82. The holding surface 82 is disposed on the −X side of the second axis O2. The pressing portion 81 is disposed on the opposite side of the second axis O2 from the holding surface 82 (i.e., on the +X side of the second axis O2). Fiber scraps Fs are placed on the holding surface 82. When a user presses down on the pressing portion 81, the take-out mechanism 80 rotates about the second axis O2, and the holding surface 82 moves upward. This makes it easier to remove the fiber scraps Fs.

[0049] <Work Procedure and Action of Each Part> Next, a description will be given of the work procedure and action of each part when processing the optical fiber F using the optical fiber processing tool 1 configured as described above. When cutting the optical fiber F using the optical fiber processing tool 1 according to this embodiment, a coating removal step of removing the coating f2 of the optical fiber F and a bare portion cutting step of cutting the bare portion f1 of the optical fiber F are performed.

[0050] 7 , the fiber holder 10 is positioned at the optical fiber cutting position in the orthogonal direction Y and at the coating cutting position P11 in the extension direction X. The fiber cutting unit 60 is positioned at the storage position P21. First, the user operates the handle portion 40 to bring the tips of the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32 of the coating stripper 30 closer to each other. This causes the optical fiber F to be clamped between the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32, and a cut is made in the coating f2 of the optical fiber F. At this time, the tip surface 10a of the fiber holder 10 is abutted against the coating stripper 30. This improves the positioning accuracy of the optical fiber F relative to the coating stripper 30.

[0051] 8, the fiber holder support base 20 is moved relative to the base member 50 (coating stripper 30) in the -X direction, thereby moving the fiber holder 10 from the coating cutting position P11 to the bare part cutting position P12. The fiber cutting unit support base 70 is connected to the fiber holder support base 20 by the first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75. Therefore, the fiber cutting unit 60 also moves from the storage position P21 to the exposure position P22. Note that the fiber holder support base 20 may be moved in the -X direction relative to the base member 50, or the base member 50 may be moved in the +X direction relative to the fiber holder support base 20.

[0052] With a slit in the coating f2 of the optical fiber F, the optical fiber F is sandwiched between the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32. In this state, by moving the fiber holder 10 from the coating cutting position P11 to the bare portion cutting position P12, the remaining portion of the optical fiber F moves toward the −X side relative to the portion of the coating f2 of the optical fiber F that is closer to the +X side than the coating stripper 30 (coating scrap f2'), partially exposing the bare portion f1. This removes the coating f2 of the optical fiber F (coating removal process). In this embodiment, in the coating removal process, the movement distance of the fiber holder 10 from the coating cutting position P11 to the bare portion cutting position P12 is set to be smaller than the length of the coating scrap f2' in the extension direction X. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11 , even when the fiber holder 10 reaches the bare portion cutting position P12, the coating scrap f2' does not completely come out of the bare portion f1, and the tip of the bare portion f1 remains positioned inside the coating scrap f2'. Therefore, when the bare portion f1 is cut in a later process, it is possible to prevent the scraps of the bare portion f1 (bare portion scraps f1') from being separated from the coating scraps f2'.

[0053] Furthermore, when the fiber cutting unit 60 reaches the exposed position P22, the cutting blade 61 moves toward the -X side relative to the coating stripper 30 and becomes exposed from the coating stripper 30 and the handle unit 40. The restriction on the rotational movement of the cutting clamp 63 by the restricting member of the base member 50 is released, and the clamp biasing member 64 causes the cutting clamp 63 to move to a closed state. As the cutting blade 61 and the cutting clamp 63 approach each other, the pressing portion 63a of the cutting clamp 63 presses the bare portion f1 against the cutting blade 61. This cuts the bare portion f1 (bare portion cutting process). That is, in this embodiment, in the bare portion cutting process, the bare portion f1 is cut by the fiber cutting unit 60 with the tip of the bare portion f1 positioned inside the coating scraps f2'.

[0054] 11, the contact between the regulating surface 51a and the regulated surface 62b is released, and the cutting blade fixing part 62 and the cutting blade 61 move upward relative to the fiber cutting part support base 70 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 73. This allows the bare part f1 and the cutting blade 61 to approach each other, preventing the bare part f1 from breaking at an unexpected position and reducing the quality of the cut surface.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 9 , the fiber holder support base 20 is further moved relative to the base member 50 (coating stripper 30) in the −X direction, thereby moving the fiber holder 10 from the bare part cutting position P12 to the removal position P13. At this time, the fiber cutting unit 60 also attempts to move in the −X direction, but the first guide portion 52 of the base member 50 restricts the movement of the fiber cutting unit 60 in the −X direction (see FIG. 11 ). Therefore, the connection between the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 by the first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75 is released, and only the fiber holder support base 20 moves in the −X direction. That is, in this embodiment, after the fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare part f1, the fiber holder 10 moves relative to the fiber cutting unit 60. An opening / closing mechanism (not shown) is also provided, and when the fiber holder 10 moves from the bare part cutting position P12 to the removal position P13, the cutting clamp 63 moves from a closed state to an open state.

[0056] Thereafter, the fiber scraps Fs that remain sandwiched between the first stripper blade 31 and the second stripper blade 32 are collected. As described above, the bare portion f1 is cut by the fiber cutting unit 60 with the tip of the bare portion f1 positioned inside the coating scrap f2'. Therefore, the fiber scraps Fs obtained by cutting the bare portion f1 are a combination of the coating scrap f2' and the scrap of the bare portion f1 (bare portion scrap f1') cut by the fiber cutting unit 60. This makes it possible to easily and reliably collect the fiber scraps Fs. By pressing down the pressing unit 81 of the removal mechanism 80, the holding surface 82 is moved upward, making it possible to more easily and reliably collect the fiber scraps Fs.

[0057] Furthermore, the fiber holder 10 is moved in the perpendicular direction Y from the optical fiber cutting position to the connection position. The fiber holder 10 is moved so as to approach the optical connector C held by the connector holder 90. This allows the optical fiber F held by the fiber holder 10 to be connected to the built-in fiber built into the optical connector C.

[0058] If the optical fiber processing tool 1 does not include the connector holder 90, the fiber holder 10 is moved to the removal position P13, and then the optical fiber F is removed from the fiber holder 10. By releasing the connection between the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 before removing the optical fiber F, it is possible to prevent the end face of the optical fiber F from coming into contact with the cutting blade 61 or the cutting clamp 63 and becoming contaminated.

[0059] As described above, the optical fiber processing tool 1 of this embodiment includes the fiber holder 10 that holds the optical fiber F with the end of the optical fiber F extended to one side (the +X side), the coating stripper 30 that removes the coating f2 from the optical fiber F, the base member 50 that supports the coating stripper 30, and the fiber cutting unit 60 that cuts the bare portion f1 of the optical fiber F. After the fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare portion f1, the fiber holder 10 moves relative to the fiber cutting unit 60.

[0060] According to this optical fiber processing tool 1, after the fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare portion f1, when collecting the fiber scraps Fs, the fiber holder 10 and the optical fiber F held by the fiber holder 10 can be separated from the fiber cutting unit 60. Furthermore, the fiber scraps Fs can be made to be in a state where the bare portion scraps f1' and the coating scraps f2' are integrated. As a result, the fiber scraps Fs can be more easily visually recognized and collected than when the bare portion scraps f1' and the coating scraps f2' are separated.

[0061] The optical fiber processing tool 1 further includes a fiber holder support base 20 that holds the fiber holder 10, and a fiber cutting unit support base 70 that holds the fiber cutting unit 60. The fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 are detachably fixed to each other. With the above configuration, the optical fiber processing tool 1 can be operated, for example, as follows. That is, the fiber holder 10 (fiber holder support base 20) and the fiber cutting unit 60 (fiber cutting unit support base 70) are moved together until the coating stripper 30 removes the coating f2 and the fiber cutting unit 60 cuts the bare portion f1. Thereafter, the fixing between the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 is released, and the fiber holder 10 is moved relative to the fiber cutting unit 60. This allows the coating f2 removal operation and the bare portion f1 cutting operation to be performed efficiently, and the fiber scraps Fs to be easily and reliably collected.

[0062] Furthermore, the fiber holder support base 20 is provided with a first magnetic member 22, and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 is provided with a second magnetic member 75 that generates a magnetic force between the first magnetic member 22 and the second magnetic member 75. According to the above configuration, the fiber holder support base 20 and the fiber cutting unit support base 70 can be detachably fixed with a simple configuration.

[0063] The optical fiber processing tool 1 also includes a fiber cutting unit support base 70 that holds the fiber cutting unit 60. A biasing member 73 is provided between the fiber cutting unit support base 70 and the cutting blade 61 of the fiber cutting unit 60, which biases the cutting blade 61 upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base 70. According to the above configuration, the cutting blade 61 is moved upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 73, thereby bringing the bare part f1 and the cutting blade 61 closer to each other. Therefore, the bare part f1 can be cut more reliably by the fiber cutting unit 60 at the intended position.

[0064] The optical fiber processing tool 1 further includes a removal mechanism 80 that is rotatably fixed to the base member 50 around a second axis O2 (center of rotation) and that removes fiber scraps Fs, including scraps of the removed coating f2 and scraps of the cut bare portion f1. The removal mechanism 80 has a holding surface 82 that holds the fiber scraps Fs, and a pressing part 81 that is disposed on the opposite side of the second axis O2 from the holding surface 82. According to the above configuration, by pressing down the pressing part 81 of the removal mechanism 80, the holding surface 82 is moved upward, making it possible to more easily and reliably collect the fiber scraps Fs.

[0065] The method for cutting optical fiber F of this embodiment includes a coating removal step of removing the coating f2 from the optical fiber F, and a bare portion cutting step of cutting the bare portion f1 of the optical fiber F. In the bare portion cutting step, the bare portion f1 is cut with the tip of the bare portion f1 positioned inside the scrap of the removed coating f2. According to this method for cutting optical fiber F, the bare portion f1 is cut with the tip of the bare portion f1 positioned inside the scrap of the removed coating f2 (coating scrap f2'). Therefore, the fiber scraps Fs obtained by cutting the bare portion f1 are a combination of the coating scrap f2' and the scrap of the cut bare portion f1 (bare portion scrap f1'). Therefore, the fiber scraps Fs can be easily and reliably collected.

[0066] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0067] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0068] 1...optical fiber processing tool, 10...fiber holder, 20...fiber holder support base, 22...first magnetic member, 30...coating stripper, 40...handle portion, 50...base member, 60...fiber cutting portion, 61...cutting blade, 70...fiber cutting portion support base, 73...urging member, 75...second magnetic member, 80...removal mechanism, 81...pressure portion, 82...holding surface, F...optical fiber, f1...bare portion, f2...coating, Fs...fiber scraps, O1...first axis, O2...second axis (center of rotation), P11...coating cutting position, P12...bare portion cutting position, P13...removal position, P21...storage position, P22...exposure position, X...extension direction, Y...orthogonal direction, Z...up and down direction

Claims

1. An optical fiber processing tool comprising: a fiber holder that holds an optical fiber with an end of the optical fiber extended to one side; a coating stripper that removes the coating from the optical fiber; a base member that supports the coating stripper; and a fiber cutting unit that cuts the bare portion of the optical fiber, wherein after the fiber cutting unit has cut the bare portion, the fiber holder moves relative to the fiber cutting unit.

2. The optical fiber processing tool according to claim 1, further comprising: a fiber holder support base that holds the fiber holder; and a fiber cutting unit support base that holds the fiber cutting unit, wherein the fiber holder support base and the fiber cutting unit support base are detachably fixed.

3. The optical fiber processing tool according to claim 2, wherein the fiber holder support base is provided with a first magnetic member, and the fiber cutting unit support base is provided with a second magnetic member that generates a magnetic force between itself and the first magnetic member.

4. An optical fiber processing tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a fiber cutting unit support base that holds the fiber cutting unit; and a biasing member that biases the cutting blade upward relative to the fiber cutting unit support base, provided between the fiber cutting unit support base and the cutting blade of the fiber cutting unit.

5. An optical fiber processing tool as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an extraction mechanism that is rotatably fixed around a rotation center relative to the base member and that extracts fiber scraps including the removed coating and the cut bare portion, wherein the extraction mechanism has a holding surface that holds the fiber scraps, and a pressing portion that is arranged on the opposite side of the rotation center from the holding surface.

6. A method for cutting an optical fiber, comprising: a coating removal step of removing the coating from an optical fiber; and a bare portion cutting step of cutting a bare portion of the optical fiber, wherein in the bare portion cutting step, the bare portion is cut with the tip of the bare portion positioned inside the removed coating debris.

Images