Optical fiber coating remover, optical fiber coating removal method, and optical fiber core
The optical fiber coating remover improves coating removal efficiency by applying oblique pressure through angled blades and a pressing member, reducing glass fiber damage and enabling efficient coating removal.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-18
Smart Images
Figure JP2025043175_18062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Optical Fiber Coating Remover, Optical Fiber Coating Removal Method, and Optical Fiber Core 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber coating remover, an optical fiber coating removal method, and an optical fiber core. This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2024-218654 filed on December 13, 2024, and incorporates all the descriptions described in the above Japanese application. 【0002】 Patent Document 1 discloses an optical fiber coating remover that heats the coating layer of an optical fiber core and at least one of a pair of coating removal blades. 【0003】 Patent Document 2 discloses an optical fiber coating removal method in which an auxiliary medium is arranged on the outer periphery of the coating layer of an optical fiber core. 【0004】 Patent Document 3 discloses an optical fiber coating remover in which a clearance portion is formed between a coating removal blade, a heater, and an elastic member, where the coating layer of the removed optical fiber core accumulates. 【0005】 Patent Document 4 discloses an optical fiber coating remover provided with a coating removal blade formed to accommodate coating removal of various types of optical fibers having various thicknesses. 【0006】 International Publication No. 2018 / 225679, International Publication No. 2018 / 225678, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-56275, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-136359 【0007】An optical fiber coating remover according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an optical fiber fixing section for holding an optical fiber core whose periphery is covered by a coating, and a coating removal section provided so as to be able to move toward and away from the optical fiber fixing section, and for removing the coating of the optical fiber core held by the optical fiber fixing section, wherein the coating removal section includes a pair of removal blades for gripping the coating of the optical fiber core, and a pressing member including a mounting surface on which the optical fiber core is placed, and for pressing the coating of the optical fiber core, and the pair of removal blades are positioned from above The pressing member includes a first removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core and a second removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core from below, wherein the pressing member does not overlap with the tip of the first removal blade when viewed from above, and in a cross-section including the approach direction in which the coating removal portion and the optical fiber fixing portion approach each other and the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades, the first virtual line connecting the end of the tip of the first removal blade closest to the pressing member and the end of the pressing member closest to the first removal blade intersects with the second virtual line connecting the tip of the first removal blade and the tip of the second removal blade. 【0008】 Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber core in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber core according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the optical fiber coating remover according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the optical fiber holder fixing part of the optical fiber coating remover of Figure 2 separated from the coating remover body. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the state in which the coating has been removed from the optical fiber core set in the optical fiber coating remover of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of the optical fiber coating remover of Figure 2. Figure 6 is the pressure distribution applied to the optical fiber core by the removal blade in the configuration of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of the optical fiber coating remover according to Modification 1. 【0009】 Optical fiber coating removers improve coating removal efficiency by using heating elements, auxiliary media, or creating relief areas for the removed coating layer. However, there was still room for improvement in the coating removal efficiency of optical fibers. 【0010】This disclosure aims to provide an optical fiber coating remover, an optical fiber coating removal method, and an optical fiber core that can improve the coating removal performance of optical fiber cores and enable efficient coating removal work. 【0011】 According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an optical fiber coating remover, an optical fiber coating removal method, and an optical fiber core that can improve the coating removal performance of optical fiber cores and perform coating removal work well. 【0012】 First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) An optical fiber coating remover according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an optical fiber fixing part that holds an optical fiber core in which the periphery of the glass fiber is covered with a coating, and a coating removal part that is provided so as to be able to move toward and away from the optical fiber fixing part and removes the coating of the optical fiber core held by the optical fiber fixing part, wherein the coating removal part has a pair of removal blades that grip the coating of the optical fiber core, and a pressing member that includes a mounting surface on which the optical fiber core is placed and presses the coating of the optical fiber core, wherein the pair of removal blades are directed upward or The device includes a first removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core and a second removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core from below. The pressing member, when viewed from above, does not overlap with the tip of the first removal blade. In a cross-section including the approach direction in which the coating removal portion and the optical fiber fixing portion approach each other and the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades, a first virtual line connecting the end of the tip of the first removal blade closest to the pressing member and the end of the pressing member closest to the first removal blade intersects with a second virtual line connecting the tip of the first removal blade and the tip of the second removal blade. 【0013】 With this configuration, the first removal blade and the pressing member grip the optical fiber core at an angle, so pressure is applied to the coating in an oblique direction by the first removal blade and the pressing member, and the pressure is distributed. As a result, even if the clearance between the first removal blade and the pressing member is narrowed, the first removal blade and the pressing member do not bite deeply into the coating and are less likely to come into contact with the glass fiber. Therefore, by preventing breakage of the glass fiber, the coating removal performance of the optical fiber core is improved, and the coating removal work can be performed smoothly. 【0014】 (2) In the optical fiber coating remover according to (1) above, the pressing member may also be a heating unit that heats the coating of the optical fiber core. 【0015】 With this configuration, the coating can be pressed using the existing heating element without the need for new components. 【0016】 (3) In (1) or (2) above, the pressing member may be made of metal. 【0017】 With this configuration, the pressing member is made of metal, making it resistant to wear. 【0018】 (4) In (1) above, the pressing member may be made of a resin with a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or more. 【0019】 With this configuration, the pressing member can press the coating resin and is less likely to damage the glass fibers even if it comes into contact with them. 【0020】 (5) A method for removing the coating of an optical fiber according to one aspect of the present disclosure, wherein an optical fiber core wire whose periphery is covered by a coating is held by an optical fiber fixing part, and the coating of the optical fiber core wire is removed by a pair of removal blades of the coating removal part, which grips the coating of the optical fiber core wire and scratches the coating, and the coating removal part is brought into contact with and separated from the optical fiber fixing part, wherein the first removal blade and the second removal blade included in the pair of removal blades are in contact with the optical fiber core wire from above, and the second removal blade is in contact with the optical fiber core wire from below A pressing member is positioned to contact the optical fiber core and to press the coating of the optical fiber core, including a mounting surface on which the optical fiber core is placed, so as viewed from above, it does not overlap with the tip of the first removal blade, and in a cross-section including the approach direction in which the coating removal portion and the optical fiber fixing portion approach each other and the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades, the pressing member is positioned such that a first imaginary line connecting the end of the first removal blade closest to the pressing member and the end of the pressing member closest to the first removal blade intersects with a second imaginary line connecting the tip of the first removal blade and the tip of the second removal blade. 【0021】 With this method, the first removal blade and the pressing member clamp the optical fiber core at an angle, so pressure is applied to the coating in an oblique direction by the first removal blade and the pressing member, and the pressure is distributed. As a result, even if the clearance between the first removal blade and the pressing member is narrowed, the first removal blade and the pressing member do not bite deeply into the coating and are less likely to come into contact with the glass fiber. Therefore, the coating removal performance of the optical fiber core is improved, and the coating removal work can be performed smoothly. 【0022】 (6) An optical fiber core according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an optical fiber core from which a portion of the coating has been removed using an optical fiber coating remover described in any of (1) to (4) above. 【0023】 This configuration makes it possible to provide optical fiber cores with the coating removed in good condition. 【0024】 Specific examples of optical fiber coating removers and optical fiber coating removal methods according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims, as indicated by the claims. 【0025】 (Optical Fiber Core) Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber core 10 from which the coating has been removed by the optical fiber coating remover according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the optical fiber core 10 has a glass fiber 11 and a coating layer 12. The glass fiber 11 includes a core 11A that propagates light and a cladding 11B that confines the light. 【0026】 The coating layer 12 is formed of a resin material to protect the glass fiber 11. In this example, the coating layer 12 has a primary resin layer 12A that covers the cladding 11B and a secondary resin layer 12B that covers the primary resin layer 12A. As the resins constituting the primary resin layer 12A and the secondary resin layer 12B, for example, polyolefin resins, fluororesins, urethane (meth)acrylate resins, etc., can be used. 【0027】An ink layer 13 for identification may be added around the coating layer 12. The coating layer 12 and the ink layer 13 correspond to the coating of the optical fiber core 10 of this disclosure. 【0028】 A typical optical fiber core 10 has, for example, a glass fiber diameter of about 125 μm and an outer diameter of about 250 μm. The optical fiber coating remover according to this embodiment can suitably remove coatings from optical fiber cores 10 with smaller outer diameters than typical ones, for example, optical fiber cores 10 with a glass fiber diameter of 80 μm to 125 μm and an outer diameter of 100 μm to 210 μm. 【0029】 (Optical Fiber Coating Remover) Next, the optical fiber coating remover 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the optical fiber coating remover 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 of the optical fiber coating remover 1 in Figure 2 separated from the coating remover body 3. 【0030】 As shown in Figure 2, the optical fiber coating remover 1 has an optical fiber holder fixing part 2 and a coating remover body 3. 【0031】 The optical fiber holder fixing part 2 is connected to the coating removal device body 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 is positioned so as to be able to move closer to or further away from the coating removal device body 3. 【0032】 Specifically, the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 is configured to slide freely relative to the coating removal tool body 3. The optical fiber holder fixing part 2 has two slide shafts 21 that extend to the coating removal tool body 3. The slide shafts 21 are slidably inserted into the sliding holes 3A of the coating removal tool body 3. The direction in which the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 is moved away from the coating removal tool body 3, that is, the direction in which the optical fiber core wire 10 is pulled out, will be referred to as the front of the optical fiber coating removal tool 1. The direction in which the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 is moved closer to the coating removal tool body 3 will be referred to as the rear of the optical fiber coating removal tool 1. 【0033】The optical fiber holder fixing section 2 includes a holder mounting section 22 and a holder retaining cover 23. The holder retaining cover 23 is provided on the upper part of the holder mounting section 22 so as to be openable and closable. 【0034】 The coating removal device body 3 has a coating removal section 30. The coating removal section 30 is located at the end to which the optical fiber holder fixing section 2 is connected. The coating removal section 30 has an optical fiber mounting section 31 and an optical fiber retaining cover 32. The optical fiber retaining cover 32 is provided on the upper part of the optical fiber mounting section 31 so as to be openable and closable. 【0035】 The optical fiber retaining cover 32 has a plate-shaped optical fiber retaining medium 33 in its center. The optical fiber retaining medium 33 sandwiches the optical fiber core 10 between itself and the optical fiber mounting section 31. The optical fiber retaining medium 33 is made of, for example, silicone rubber. 【0036】 The coating removal section 30 has a pair of removal blades 34 and a pair of base bodies 35. The pair of removal blades 34 make cuts in the coating layer 12 and ink layer 13 of the optical fiber core 10 placed in the coating removal section 30. 【0037】 The pair of removal blades 34 have an upper removal blade 34A and a lower removal blade 34B. The upper removal blade 34A contacts the optical fiber core 10 from above. The lower removal blade 34B contacts the optical fiber core 10 from below. The upper removal blade 34A is the first removal blade of this disclosure, and the lower removal blade 34B is the second removal blade of this disclosure. 【0038】 The pair of bases 35 consists of an upper base 35A and a lower base 35B. The upper removal blade 34A is provided on the upper base 35A. The lower removal blade 34B is provided on the lower base 35B. The upper base 35A is fixed to the front surface of the optical fiber retaining cover 32 by screws. The lower base 35B is fixed to the front surface of the optical fiber mounting section 31 by screws. 【0039】The coating removal section 30 has a heating section 36. The heating section 36 is located on the upper surface of the optical fiber mounting section 31. The heating section 36 includes a heater 37 and a heater support member 38 on which the heater 37 is mounted. The heater 37 is a plate-shaped heater made of, for example, metal. The coating removal section 30 is provided with a heater power supply switch (not shown) which is switched ON or OFF by opening and closing the optical fiber retaining cover 32. When the optical fiber retaining cover 32 is closed, this heater power supply switch turns ON and power is supplied to the heater 37. 【0040】 The coating stripper body 3 has a power supply unit 40. The power supply unit 40 has a removable cover 41 and an operating unit 42 with various switches. Inside the power supply unit 40 is a circuit board (not shown) that controls the supply of current to the heater 37. The power supply unit 40 can accommodate four to eight 1.2-volt to 1.5-volt batteries as an internal power source. A power cord 43 (see Figure 4) can be inserted into the power supply unit 40, and by inserting the power cord 43, power can be supplied from an external power source. 【0041】 Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the state after the coating (coating layer 12 and ink layer 13) has been removed from the optical fiber core 10 set in the optical fiber coating remover 1 shown in Figure 2. 【0042】 As shown in Figure 4, the optical fiber stripper 1 has an optical fiber holder 50. The optical fiber holder 50 holds the optical fiber core 10 from which the coating at the end is to be removed. By adjusting the mounting position of the optical fiber holder 50 on the optical fiber core 10, the length of the portion of the optical fiber core 10 from which the coating is to be removed can be determined. The optical fiber holder 50 corresponds to the optical fiber fixing portion of this disclosure. 【0043】 The optical fiber holder 50, which holds the optical fiber core 10, is placed on the holder mounting section 22 of the optical fiber holder fixing section 2. With the optical fiber holder 50 placed on the holder mounting section 22, the holder retaining cover 23 is closed, thereby holding the optical fiber holder 50 in place on the optical fiber holder fixing section 2. 【0044】FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a part of the configuration of the coating removal unit 30 in FIG. 2, and shows a cross section in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber core wire 10 sandwiched by the coating removal unit 30. FIG. 5 shows a state where the optical fiber holding lid 32 is closed. In addition, the illustration of the constituent members other than the optical fiber holding medium 33, the pair of removal blades 34, and the heater 37 is omitted. 【0045】 The cross section in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber core wire 10 corresponds to a cross section including the approaching direction of the optical fiber holder 50 of the present disclosure with respect to the coating removal unit 30 and the sandwiching direction of the pair of removal blades 34. In FIG. 5, hatching is omitted for simplification of illustration. 【0046】 As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of removal blades 34 are formed such that, for example, the thickness of the tip of the upper removal blade 34A is the same as the thickness of the tip of the lower removal blade 34B. The "thickness of the tip of the removal blade 34" in this specification means the thickness of the removal blade 34 in the direction in which the optical fiber holder fixing portion 2 approaches and separates from the coating remover main body 3 (frontward or backward in FIG. 5). 【0047】 As shown in FIG. 5, when the optical fiber holding lid 32 (see FIG. 4) is closed, the upper removal blade 34A and the lower removal blade 34B are closest to each other, and the clearance between the upper removal blade 34A and the lower removal blade 34B becomes the smallest. At this time, the upper removal blade 34A and the lower removal blade 34B sandwich the coating of the optical fiber core wire 10 from above and below, and cut into the coating of the optical fiber core wire 10, thereby making a cut in the coating. 【0048】 The "clearance between the two removal blades" in this specification means the distance in the direction in which the two removal blades 34 approach each other (upward and downward in FIG. 5). 【0049】 The heater 37 has a heating surface 37A. The coating removal target portion of the optical fiber core wire 10 is placed on the heating surface 37A. As shown in FIG. 5, when the optical fiber holding lid 32 is closed, the optical fiber core wire 10 is sandwiched between the optical fiber holding medium 33 and the heating surface 37A of the heater 37 and heated by the heater 37. The heater 37 corresponds to the pressing member of the present disclosure, and the heating surface 37A corresponds to the placement surface of the present disclosure. 【0050】 The heater 37 is adjacent to the lower removal blade 34B. By positioning the heater 37 near the lower removal blade 34B, the coating of the heated optical fiber core 10 does not cool down before coming into contact with the pair of removal blades 34, making it easier to remove the coating. 【0051】 The heater 37 is positioned diagonally opposite the upper removal blade 34A, with the optical fiber core 10 in between. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the heater 37 is positioned so that the first virtual line IL1 and the second virtual line IL2 intersect. The angle θ of the first virtual line IL1 with respect to the second virtual line IL2 is, for example, 45 degrees. 【0052】 Here, the first virtual line IL1 is the line connecting the end 34A1 of the tip of the upper removal blade 34A that is closest to the heater 37 and the end 37A1 of the heater 37 that is closest to the upper removal blade 34A. The second virtual line IL2 is the line connecting the tip of the upper removal blade 34A and the tip of the lower removal blade 34B along the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades 34 (up and down in Figure 5). 【0053】 Furthermore, the heater 37 is positioned so as not to overlap with the tip of the upper removal blade 34A when viewed from above. In other words, the end 37A1 of the heater 37 closest to the upper removal blade 34A is positioned so as not to overlap with the end 34A1 of the tip of the upper removal blade 34A closest to the heater 37 when viewed from the direction in which the pair of removal blades 34 are clamping together. 【0054】 (Method for removing optical fiber coating) Next, a method for removing the coating of an optical fiber using the optical fiber coating remover 1 will be described. 【0055】 First, the operator slides the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 of the optical fiber stripper 1 toward the stripper body 3, and with it close to the stripper body 3 (see Figure 2), opens the holder retaining cover 23 and the optical fiber retaining cover 32. 【0056】Next, the worker sets the optical fiber holder 50, to which the optical fiber core 10 is attached, onto the holder mounting section 22 of the optical fiber holder fixing section 2 (see Figure 4). At this time, as shown in Figure 5, the tip portion of the optical fiber core 10 attached to the optical fiber holder 50 that is located behind the optical fiber holder 50 (the portion to be stripped of its coating) is placed on the heating surface 37A of the heater 37. 【0057】 Next, the operator closes the holder retaining cover 23 of the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 and the optical fiber retaining cover 32 of the coating removal device body 3. When the optical fiber retaining cover 32 is closed, as shown in Figure 5, the upper removal blade 34A and the lower removal blade 34B move closer to each other and cut into the coating of the optical fiber core 10. 【0058】 Furthermore, when the optical fiber retaining cover 32 is closed, the heater power switch is turned ON, and the heater 37 is energized. As a result, the coating layer 12 of the portion of the optical fiber core 10 to be removed, which is placed on the heating surface 37A of the heater 37, is rapidly heated and softened by the heater 37. 【0059】 Next, the operator confirms, using the indicator LED on the control unit 42, that the coating on the optical fiber core 10 has reached the optimal temperature for coating removal (for example, 140°C). After confirming the optimal temperature, the operator grasps the coating removal tool body 3 and the optical fiber holder fixing part 2, respectively, and slides the optical fiber holder fixing part 2 in a direction that separates it from the coating removal tool body 3 (forward in Figure 5). 【0060】 In this way, the glass fiber 11 near the end of the optical fiber core 10 is pulled out from the coating layer 12, and only the coating layer 12 and ink layer 13 that have been heated and softened on the tip side of the cuts made by the pair of removal blades 34 are removed, exposing the glass fiber 11. When the coating removal work is completed, the worker opens the optical fiber retaining cover 32, the heater power switch turns OFF, and power to the heater 37 is stopped. 【0061】Here, when the coating of the optical fiber core 10 is cut by the pair of removal blades 34, the coating is cracked by applying stress to it with the pair of removal blades 34. Here, the narrower the clearance between the pair of removal blades 34, the easier it is for cracks to form in the coating. However, if the clearance between the pair of removal blades 34 becomes too narrow, the removal blades 34 will come into contact with the glass fiber 11, making the glass fiber more prone to breakage. 【0062】 In contrast, according to the optical fiber coating remover 1 and optical fiber coating removal method of this disclosure, the optical fiber core 10 is clamped diagonally by the upper removal blade 34A and the heater 37, so pressure is applied to the coating (coating layer 12 and ink layer 13) of the optical fiber core 10 in a diagonal direction by the upper removal blade 34A and the heater 37, and the pressure is distributed. 【0063】 Figure 6 shows the pressure distribution applied to the optical fiber core 10 by the pair of removal blades 34 and heater 37 in the configuration shown in Figure 5. In Figure 6, the pressure intensity is shown by the shades of grayscale. This pressure distribution is the result of an explicit transient motion analysis based on a 3D model of the coating removal section 30. This result is not limiting to the present disclosure. 【0064】 As shown in Figure 6, it can be seen that pressure is applied to the coating of the optical fiber core 10 in an oblique direction by the upper removal blade 34A and the heater 37, and that the pressure is distributed. 【0065】 In this way, pressure is applied to the coating of the optical fiber core 10 in an oblique direction and the pressure is dispersed, so even if the clearance between the upper removal blade 34A and the heater 37 is narrowed, the upper removal blade 34A and the heater 37 do not bite deeply into the coating and are less likely to come into contact with the glass fiber 11. Therefore, by preventing breakage of the glass fiber 11, the coating removal performance of the optical fiber core is improved and the coating removal work can be performed smoothly. 【0066】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, a heater 37 is used as the pressing member. Therefore, the coating can be pressed using the existing heater 37 without using a new member as the pressing member. 【0067】(Modified Version) Next, a modified version of the optical fiber coating remover 1A will be described using Figure 7. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing part of the configuration of the optical fiber coating remover 1A, and shows the optical fiber retaining cover 32 in a closed state. Elements that are substantially the same as those described with reference to Figure 5 are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. 【0068】 As shown in Figure 7, the coating removal section 30 of the optical fiber coating remover 1A according to this modified example has a pressing member 39 positioned between the lower removal blade 34B and the heater 37. The pressing member 39 is adjacent to the lower removal blade 34B. The pressing member 39 is, for example, integrally attached to the heater 37. 【0069】 The pressing member 39 is made of, for example, metal. Examples of metals include stainless steel (SUS), cemented carbide, and high-speed steel. Because the pressing member 39 is made of metal, it is resistant to wear. 【0070】 The pressing member 39 is positioned diagonally opposite the upper removal blade 34A, with the optical fiber core 10 in between. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the pressing member 39 is positioned so that the first virtual line IL1 and the second virtual line IL2 intersect. The angle θ of the first virtual line IL1 with respect to the second virtual line IL2 is, for example, 45 degrees. 【0071】 Here, the first imaginary line IL1 is the line connecting the end 34A1 of the tip of the upper removal blade 34A that is closest to the pressing member 39 and the end 39A of the pressing member 39 that is closest to the upper removal blade 34A. The second imaginary line IL2 is the line connecting the tip of the upper removal blade 34A and the tip of the lower removal blade 34B along the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades 34 (upward and downward in Figure 5). 【0072】 Furthermore, the pressing member 39 is positioned so as not to overlap with the tip of the upper removal blade when viewed from above. In other words, the end 39A of the pressing member 39 closest to the upper removal blade 34A is positioned so as not to overlap with the end 34A1 of the tip of the upper removal blade 34A closest to the pressing member 39 when viewed from the direction in which the pair of removal blades 34 clamp together. 【0073】According to the modified optical fiber coating remover 1A, the optical fiber core 10 is gripped diagonally by the upper removal blade 34A and the pressing member 39. As a result, pressure is applied to the coating of the optical fiber core 10 in a diagonal direction by the upper removal blade 34A and the pressing member 39, and the pressure is distributed. Therefore, even if the clearance between the upper removal blade 34A and the pressing member 39 is narrowed, the upper removal blade 34A and the pressing member 39 do not bite deeply into the coating and are less likely to come into contact with the glass fiber 11. 【0074】 The pressing member 39 may be formed from a resin with a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or higher instead of metal. Here, the Young's modulus of the coating resin of the optical fiber core 10 is basically 3000 MPa or less. Therefore, if the pressing member 39 is formed from a resin with a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or higher, the pressing member 39 will be made of a resin that is harder than the coating resin of the optical fiber core 10. This allows the pressing member 39 to press against the coating resin. On the other hand, since the pressing member 39 is less hard than glass, it is less likely to damage the glass fiber 11 even if it comes into contact with it. 【0075】 Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components described above are not limited to the above embodiments and can be changed to a number, position, shape, etc. that is suitable for carrying out the present invention. 【0076】 It should be understood that at least one configuration or feature described in each embodiment and example can be combined with other embodiments and examples, or modified in various ways. 【0077】10 Optical fiber core 11 Glass fiber 11A Core 11B Cladding 12 Coating layer 12A Primary resin layer 12B Secondary resin layer 13 Ink layer 1 Optical fiber coating remover 1A Optical fiber coating remover 2 Optical fiber holder fixing part 21 Slide shaft 22 Holder mounting part 23 Holder retaining cover 3 Coating remover body 3A Sliding hole 30 Coating removal part 31 Optical fiber mounting part 32 Optical fiber retaining cover 33 Optical fiber retaining medium 34 Removal blade 34A Upper removal blade 34A1 End 34B Lower removal blade 35 Base 35A Upper base 35B Lower base 36 Heating part 37 Heater 37A Heating surface 37A1 End 38 Heater support member 39 Pressing member 39A End 40 Power supply unit 41 Cover 42 Operating unit 43 Power cord 50 Optical fiber holder IL1 First virtual line IL2 Second virtual line
Claims
1. The optical fiber fixing part holds an optical fiber core whose periphery is covered with a coating, and a coating removal part is provided so as to be able to move toward and away from the optical fiber fixing part and removes the coating of the optical fiber core held by the optical fiber fixing part, wherein the coating removal part has a pair of removal blades that grip the coating of the optical fiber core and a pressing member that includes a mounting surface on which the optical fiber core is placed and presses the coating of the optical fiber core, wherein the pair of removal blades includes a first removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core from above and a second removal blade that contacts the optical fiber core from below, and the pressing member does not overlap with the tip of the first removal blade when viewed from above. In a cross-section including the approach direction in which the coating removal portion and the optical fiber fixing portion approach each other and the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades, a first virtual line connecting the end of the tip of the first removal blade closest to the pressing member and the end of the pressing member closest to the first removal blade intersects with a second virtual line connecting the tip of the first removal blade and the tip of the second removal blade, wherein the optical fiber coating remover.
2. The optical fiber coating remover according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a heating unit for heating the coating of the optical fiber core.
3. The optical fiber coating remover according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pressing member is made of metal.
4. The optical fiber coating remover according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is made of a resin with a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or more.
5. An optical fiber coating removal method in which an optical fiber core, whose periphery is covered with a coating, is held by an optical fiber fixing part, and the coating of the optical fiber core is removed by a pair of removal blades of a coating removal part that grips the coating of the optical fiber core and scratches the coating, thereby moving the coating removal part toward and toward the optical fiber fixing part, wherein the first removal blade and the second removal blade included in the pair of removal blades are arranged such that the first removal blade contacts the optical fiber core from above and the second removal blade contacts the optical fiber core from below, A method for removing the coating of an optical fiber, wherein the pressing member, which includes a mounting surface on which the optical fiber core is placed and presses the coating of the optical fiber core, is positioned such that, when viewed from above, it does not overlap with the tip of the first removal blade, and in a cross-section including the approach direction in which the coating removal portion and the optical fiber fixing portion approach each other and the clamping direction of the pair of removal blades, the first virtual line connecting the end of the first removal blade closest to the pressing member and the end of the pressing member closest to the first removal blade intersects with the second virtual line connecting the tip of the first removal blade and the tip of the second removal blade.
6. An optical fiber core from which a portion of the coating has been removed using an optical fiber coating remover according to any one of claims 1 to 4.