Movable Mirror Fusion Splicer for High-Precision Fiber Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for aligning optical fibers during fusion splicing, which involve taking images from the side, result in low precision and incomplete images due to the fiber diameter exceeding the camera's imaging range or images deviating from the camera's center, especially when using a single camera for simultaneous photography.
Innovation Solution
A fusion splicing apparatus with a movable reflector and dual imagers that allows for individual imaging of each optical fiber end face, using a mirror that can be turned 180 degrees around a rotation axis orthogonal to the fibers, ensuring precise alignment and imaging of both end faces within the camera's range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single camera is used to simultaneously photograph both end faces of optical fibers, then the imaging process is simplified, but the fiber diameter exceeds the imaging range or images deviate from the camera center, resulting in incomplete or low-precision images
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is made movable between two positions (first position for photographing first end face, second position for photographing second end face). This dynamic configuration allows a single camera to sequentially capture both end faces with high precision, resolving the contradiction between simplifying the imaging process and maintaining image precision.
2Ease of operation
If images are taken from the side of optical fibers instead of facing end faces, then the alignment process can be performed, but complicated image processing is required and precision images are hardly provided
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of photographing the end faces directly from the front, the invention uses a reflector to capture reflected images of the end faces. The camera photographs the reflected light from an inclined angle, effectively inverting the direct imaging approach. This allows precision imaging of end faces while simplifying the operational setup.
3Illumination intensity
If mirrors are arranged for each end face to reflect images to a single camera, then observation from the direction facing end faces is realized, but the fiber diameter exceeds the imaging range or images deviate from camera center
Solution Approach 1:
The single mirror is configured to move between two distinct positions: first position for reflecting the first end face image to the camera, and second position for reflecting the second end face image. This dynamic mirror positioning ensures that each end face is imaged at the center of the camera with appropriate illumination, preventing image deviation and maintaining high precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides high-precision images of the optical fiber end faces, allowing for accurate alignment and detection of defects, even with larger fiber diameters, and simplifies the imaging process by avoiding the need for complex image processing.
Implementation Method 1
a reflector that is arranged between the end faces of the pair of optical fibers that are faced toward and spaced away from each other and is movable between a first position to reflect an image of a first one of the end faces and a second position to reflect an image of a second one of the end faces
Data Source
AI summary
A fusion splicing apparatus fusion-splices end faces 1a and 3a of a pair of optical fibers 1 and 3 to each other. The apparatus includes a mirror shaft 21 provided with a mirror 23 that is arranged between the end faces 1a and 3a of the pair of optical fibers 1 and 3 that are faced toward and spaced away from each other and is movable between a first position to reflect an image of the end face 1a and a second position to reflect an image of the end face 3a, a first camera 25 that takes the image of the end face 1a reflected in the first position, and a second camera 27 that takes the image of the end face 3a reflected in the second position.