JP2021018370A - Optical connector and transmission apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an optical connector and a transmission apparatus that enable an optical fiber to be efficiently cooled.SOLUTION: An optical connector 10 comprises: a housing 21 accommodating an optical fiber 11; a fixing member 22 that fixes the optical fiber 11 with an outer periphery thereof surrounded in the housing 21; circulation parts 23 each that are provided on both sides of the fixing member 22 in an axial direction of the optical fiber 11 in the housing 21; a first supply/discharge part 24 and a second supply/discharge part 25 that supply a cooling medium to the one circulation part 23 of the two circulation parts 23 and discharge the cooling medium from the other circulation part 23; a first communication part 43 that is disposed at a portion, in the fixing member 22, facing the optical fiber 11 and communicates the two circulation parts 23; and a second communication part 45 that is provided at a portion, in the fixing member 22, different from the portion facing the optical fiber 11 and communicates the two circulation parts 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to optical connectors and transmission devices.

When transmitting the laser light of a laser light source to a laser processing device by a transmission device having an optical fiber, one end of the laser light source and the optical fiber is connected by an optical connector, and the other end of the optical fiber and the laser processing device are connected by an optical connector. Connect with. As such a transmission device, for example, there is one described in the following patent documents.

JP-A-2009-058547

An optical fiber is generally configured by providing a glass clad on the outside of a glass core, and a wire composed of the core and the clad is covered with a resin coating portion. Such an optical fiber is required to be efficiently cooled in order to prevent it from being heated due to the influence of the outside air temperature or the heat generated by the optical fiber itself.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical connector and a transmission device capable of efficiently cooling an optical fiber.

The optical connector according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing for accommodating an optical fiber, a fixing member for fixing the optical fiber in the housing while surrounding the outer periphery of the optical fiber, and the fixing member in the housing. A distribution unit provided on both sides in the axial direction of the optical fiber and a supply / discharge unit that supplies a cooling medium to one of the two distribution units or discharges the cooling medium from the other distribution unit. And the first communication portion which is arranged in the portion of the fixing member facing the optical fiber and communicates the two distribution portions, and the portion of the fixing member different from the portion facing the optical fiber. It is provided with a second communication section that communicates the two distribution sections.

The transmission device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure includes an optical fiber, an optical connector that supports the base end portion and the tip end portion of the optical fiber, respectively, and has a distribution portion inside, and two of the optical fibers. A pipe that surrounds a portion exposed from the optical connector and connects the distribution parts of the two optical connectors, and a pipe that connects the distribution parts of the two optical connectors separately from the pipe, and two optical connectors. The optical connector comprising the circulation device for circulating the cooling medium through the flow path including the flow portion and the piping, and supporting at least the tip end portion of the optical fiber among the two optical connectors. , The above optical connector is used.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an optical connector and a transmission device capable of efficiently cooling an optical fiber.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a transmission device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the optical connector of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the optical connector and transmission device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and when there are a plurality of embodiments, the present invention also includes a combination of the respective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a transmission device of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the transmission device 100 includes an optical fiber 11, a pipe 12, two optical connectors 10 (incident side optical connector 13, exit side optical connector 14), and a circulation device 15. It has.

The optical fiber 11 includes a wire 11a in which a glass clad is provided on the outside of a glass core (see FIG. 3 and the like) and a resin covering portion 11b (see FIG. 3 and the like) that covers the wire 11a. It is composed of.

The optical connector 10 is connected to both ends of the optical fiber 11. Hereinafter, the optical connector 10 connected to the base end portion 11r side of the optical fiber 11 is referred to as an incident side optical connector 13, and the optical connector 10 connected to the tip end portion 11t side of the optical fiber 11 is referred to as an exit side optical connector 14. The base end portion 11r of the optical fiber 11 is a portion where light is incident on the optical fiber 11. Further, the tip portion 11t of the optical fiber 11 is a portion where light is emitted from the optical fiber 11.

A light source (for example, a laser oscillator) (not shown) is connected to the proximal end portion 13r of the incident side optical connector 13. The base end portion 11r of the optical fiber 11 is inserted into the incident side optical connector 13 from the tip portion 13t. The incident side optical connector 13 supports the base end portion 11r of the optical fiber 11 at the tip end portion 13t. The incident side optical connector 13 has a distribution unit 23 described later inside.

The tip end portion 11t of the optical fiber 11 is inserted into the exit side optical connector 14 from the base end portion 14r. The emission side optical connector 14 supports the tip end portion 11t of the optical fiber 11 at the base end portion 14r. A processing device (for example, a laser cutting device) (not shown) is connected to the tip portion 14t of the light emitting side optical connector 14. The emission side optical connector 14 has a distribution unit 23 described later inside.

The pipe 12 is provided so as to surround a portion of the optical fiber 11 exposed from the two optical connectors 10. In the pipe 12, the base end portion 12r is connected to the incident side optical connector 13, and the tip end portion 12t is connected to the emission side optical connector 14. A flow portion 44 is formed inside the pipe 12. An optical fiber 11 is arranged in the cooling medium flow unit 44. The pipe 12 circulates the cooling medium between the incident side optical connector 13 and the outgoing side optical connector 14. In the present embodiment, for example, cooling water is used as the cooling medium, but the cooling medium is not limited to this, and other media may be used.

The circulation device 15 connects the flow sections 23 of the incident side optical connector 13 and the exit side optical connector 14 separately from the pipe 12, and connects the flow sections 23 and the pipe 12 of the incident side optical connector 13 and the exit side optical connector 14. The cooling medium is circulated through the flow path containing the above. The circulation device 15 is connected to the supply path L1 and the discharge path L2. The circulation device 15 supplies the cooling medium discharged from the discharge path L2 to the supply path L1. The supply path L1 is connected to the first supply / discharge unit 24 of the emission side optical connector 14. The discharge path L2 is connected to the first supply / discharge portion 24 of the emission side optical connector 14.

The incident side optical connector 13 and the outgoing side optical connector 14 have the same configuration. In the following description, the corresponding configurations of the incident side optical connector 13 and the outgoing side optical connector 14 will be described with the same reference numerals. The connection portion of the optical fiber 11, the pipe 12, and the connecting pipe 16 is reversed between the case where the optical connector 10 is used as the incident side optical connector 13 and the case where the optical connector 10 is used as the exit side optical connector 14. .. Hereinafter, the description of the optical connector 10 will be described by taking the emission side optical connector 14 as an example.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the optical connector of the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. Further, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the exit side optical connector 14 includes a housing 21, a fixing member 22, a distribution section 23, a first supply / discharge section 24, a second supply / discharge section 25, and a bypass flow path. It includes 26.

The housing 21 houses the optical fiber 11. The housing 21 has a long cylindrical shape, and has a main body portion 31 located in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction, a first connecting portion 32 located on the tip portion 14t side in the longitudinal direction, and a base end portion 14r side in the longitudinal direction. It is composed of a second connecting portion 33 located at. The main body 31 has a maximum inner diameter. The first connecting portion 32 has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 31 and has a tapered shape. The second connecting portion 33 has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first connecting portion 32, has a tapered shape, and has a connecting hole 33a as an external connecting portion. The housing 21 may be configured by dividing the main body 31, the first connecting portion 32, and the second connecting portion 33 into three parts, or may divide the housing 21 into four or more members.

A fixing member 22 for fixing the optical fiber 11 is arranged inside the housing 21. The fixing member 22 includes a first sleeve 34 supported on the inner surface of the housing 21, a second sleeve 35 supported on the inner surface of the first sleeve 34, and a third sleeve 36 supported on the inner surface of the second sleeve 35. It is composed of. A cylindrical gap 37 is formed between the housing 21 and the first sleeve 34.

The first sleeve 34 has a cylindrical shape and has a large diameter portion 34a and a small diameter portion 34b. The outer surface of the large diameter portion 34a is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the main body portion 31 of the housing 21, and the small diameter portion 34b is fixed. Is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the first connecting portion 32 of the housing 21.

The second sleeve 35 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the optical fiber 11, has a large diameter portion 35a and a small diameter portion 35b, and the outer surface of the large diameter portion 35a fits into the inner surface of the large diameter portion 34a of the first sleeve 34. And fixed.

The third sleeve 36 has a rod shape extending in the axial direction of the optical fiber 11, and is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the large diameter portion 35a of the second sleeve 35.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of, for example, four third sleeves 36 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the optical fiber 11 in a VV cross-sectional view. The number of the third sleeve 36 may be three or less, or may be five or more. The plurality of third sleeves 36 are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction, for example. In the cross-sectional view of the third sleeve 36, the inner surface 36a in the radial direction comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the covering portion 11b of the optical fiber 11. The optical fiber 11 is fixed by holding the outer peripheral surface of the covering portion 11b in the circumferential direction by the plurality of third sleeves 36.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the third sleeve 36 is arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the optical fiber 11 in the VV cross-sectional view. Therefore, a first communication portion 43 is formed between the inner peripheral surface 35c of the second sleeve 35 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 11 at a location where the third sleeve 36 is not provided. In the present embodiment, the first communication portions 43 are provided at a plurality of, for example, four locations in the circumferential direction of the optical fiber 11, for example, in the VV cross-sectional view. The first communication portion 43 has, for example, a slit shape, and communicates between the first circulation portion 41 on the distal end side and the second circulation portion 42 on the proximal end side of the optical fiber 11 described later in the housing 21. That is, the cooling medium is circulated from the first distribution unit 41 on the distal end side of the optical fiber 11 to the second distribution portion 42 on the proximal end side via the first communication portion 43. The first communication portion 43 is arranged at a position of the fixing member 22 facing the optical fiber 11. With this configuration, the cooling medium flowing through the first communication portion 43 comes into contact with the optical fiber 11, so that the optical fiber 11 can be directly cooled.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a slit-shaped second communication portion 45 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 35d of the second sleeve 35. The outer peripheral surface 35d is provided on a portion of the fixing member 22 different from the portion facing the optical fiber 11. The second communication unit 45 extends along the axial direction of the optical fiber 11 and communicates between the first distribution unit 41 and the second distribution unit 42. Therefore, the fixing member 22 is provided with a first communication section 43 and a second communication section 45 as communication sections that communicate the first communication section 41 and the second communication section 42. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the communicating portion is larger than that in which the first communicating portion 43 is provided alone. The first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45 are portions through which the cooling medium flows. Therefore, by providing the first communication portion 43 and the second communication portion 45, clogging of the cooling medium at the fixed portion of the optical fiber 11 can be suppressed, and the cooling medium can be smoothly distributed.

A plurality of second communication portions 45 are provided in the circumferential direction of the second sleeve 35, for example, at four locations on the top, bottom, left, and right in FIG. 5 at equal pitches. The second communication portion 45 may be provided at three or less locations or five or more locations in the circumferential direction of the second sleeve 35. In the present embodiment, the second communication portion 45 is provided at a position corresponding to the third sleeve 36. In this case, the second communication portion 45 is provided so that the outer peripheral surface 36b of the third sleeve 36 is exposed. With this configuration, the second communication portion 45 is in a state of facing the outer peripheral surface 36b of the third sleeve 36. The second communication portion 45 may be provided in a state where the outer peripheral surface 36b of the third sleeve 36 is not exposed.

Returning to FIG. 2, in the housing 21, the fourth sleeve 38 is fixed to the inner surface of the first connecting portion 32. The fourth sleeve 38 has a cylindrical shape, and a probe 39 having a cylindrical shape is fixed to the inner surface thereof. One end of the probe 39 is in contact with the end of the small diameter portion 34b of the first sleeve 34. Further, the probe 39 is provided with a conical joint portion 39a protruding toward the second sleeve 35 at one end, and a gap is secured between the probe 39 and the small diameter portion 35b of the second sleeve 35. Further, the housing 21 is connected by fitting the tip end portion of the connecting pipe 16 to the inner surface of the connecting hole 33a of the second connecting portion 33.

The tip portion 11t of the optical fiber 11 is inserted into the housing 21 from the connecting pipe 16. The optical fiber 11 is composed of a wire 11a and a covering portion 11b, the covering portion 11b is extended to an intermediate position of the small diameter portion 35b of the second sleeve 35, and the wire 11a is extended to the probe 39. In the optical fiber 11, the covering portion 11b is inserted into the third sleeve 36 and fixedly supported, and the tip end portion of the wire 11a is brought into contact with the joining portion 39a of the probe 39 to be fused and joined. Further, as described above, the first distribution unit 41 and the second distribution unit 42 are communicated with each other via the second communication unit 45 of the second sleeve 35. Therefore, the cooling medium flows from the first distribution section 41 on the distal end side to the second distribution section 42 on the proximal end side via the second communication portion 45, and the cooling medium causes the second sleeve 35 to flow. It is designed to be cooled.

The distribution unit 23 is provided inside the housing 21 on the outside of the optical fiber 11 supported by the fixing member 22. The distribution unit 23 is provided on the first distribution unit 41 provided on the distal end side of the optical fiber 11 in the axial direction with respect to the fixing member 22, and on the proximal end side of the optical fiber 11 in the axial direction with respect to the fixing member 22. It has two distribution units 42.

The first distribution section 41 is a space partitioned by the large diameter portion 35a of the first sleeve 34 and the second sleeve 35, the third sleeve 36, and the probe 39. The second distribution section 42 is a space partitioned by the main body section 31 of the housing 21, the second connecting section 33, the first sleeve 34, the second sleeve 35, and the third sleeve 36. A third sleeve 36 for fixing and supporting the optical fiber 11 is provided between the first distribution unit 41 and the second distribution unit 42. As described above, the first distribution unit 41 and the second distribution unit 42 are communicated with each other via the first communication unit 43 of the third sleeve 36. Therefore, the cooling medium flows from the first distribution section 41 on the distal end side to the second distribution section 42 on the proximal end side via the first communication section 43, and the optical fiber 11 is fixed by the cooling medium. The support is designed to be cooled. Further, as described above, the third sleeve 36 has a configuration in which the outer peripheral surface 36b is exposed to the second communication portion 45. Therefore, the third sleeve 36 is cooled by the cooling medium flowing through the second communication portion 45.

The second distribution section 42 has a diameter-expanded section 42a. The enlarged diameter portion 42a is provided on the side connected to the first communication portion 43 and the second communication portion 45. With this configuration, in the second flow section 42, the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is reduced in the diameter expansion section 42a. Therefore, the cooling medium can be smoothly distributed between the first communication unit 43, the second communication unit 45, and the second distribution unit 42.

A cooling medium flow unit 44 is secured between the pipe 12 and the optical fiber 11. The second distribution section 42 communicates with the cooling medium flow section 44 of the pipe 12 connected to the housing 21.

The first supply / discharge section 24 and the second supply / discharge section 25 supply / discharge the cooling medium to the distribution section 23 of the housing 21. The first supply / discharge portion 24 has a side portion connecting portion 31a arranged on the side portion of the main body portion 31 of the housing 21 in the axial direction of the optical fiber 11. The second supply / discharge portion 25 is arranged on the second connecting portion 33 side of the housing 21 and is connected to the pipe 12.

In the light emitting side optical connector 14, the first supply / discharge unit 24 functions as a supply / discharge unit that supplies a cooling medium to the first distribution unit 41. Further, the second supply / discharge unit 25 functions as a supply / discharge unit that discharges the cooling medium from the second distribution unit 42. In the incident side optical connector 13, the first supply / discharge unit 24 functions as a supply / discharge unit that discharges the cooling medium from the first distribution unit 41. Further, the second supply / discharge unit 25 functions as a supply / discharge unit that supplies a cooling medium to the second distribution unit 42.

The bypass flow path 26 is provided separately from the first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45, and connects between the first distribution section 41 and the second distribution section 42 via the outside of the housing 21. To do. The bypass flow path 26 is provided so as to bypass the first communication portion 43 and the second communication portion 45. By providing the bypass flow path 26, the cooling medium is circulated through the first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45 while suppressing the pressure of the cooling medium on the first communication section 41 and the second communication section 42. Can be done. The bypass flow path 26 has a first connection portion 26a connected to the first distribution section 41 and a second connection portion 26b connected to the second distribution section 42. The first connection portion 26a is arranged at a position corresponding to the end portion of the first communication portion 43. Further, the first connection portion 26a is arranged at a position corresponding to the first supply / discharge portion 24 in the axial direction of the optical fiber 11. Therefore, the balance on the outer shape is ensured by forming the protruding portion at the corresponding position on the outer shape of the light emitting side optical connector 14. Further, the second connecting portion 26b is arranged at a position on the second connecting portion 33 side of the second distribution portion 42 with respect to the enlarged diameter portion 42a. In this embodiment, the bypass flow path 26 may not be provided.

In the present embodiment, the circulation device 15 connects the first supply / discharge unit 24 of the emission side optical connector 14 and the first supply / discharge unit 24 of the incident side optical connector 13. Further, the pipe 12 connects the second supply / discharge section 25 of the light emitting side optical connector 14 and the second supply / discharge section 25 of the incident side optical connector 13. Therefore, a system of flow paths including the incident side optical connector 13, the circulation device 15, the exit side optical connector 14, and the pipe 12 is formed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably cool the entire optical fiber 11.

Further, the circulation device 15 adjusts the flow rate and the pressure in addition to adjusting the temperature of the cooling medium. Regarding the temperature, for example, the temperature of the fixing member 22 and the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the pipe 12 can be measured, and the temperature of the cooling medium can be adjusted so that the measurement result does not exceed a predetermined threshold value. Regarding the flow rate and pressure, for example, the difference between the flow rate of the cooling medium flowing into the circulation device 15 and the flow path flowing through the bypass flow path 26 is calculated, and the calculation results are the first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45. It is estimated to be the flow rate of the cooling medium flowing through. The circulation device 15 adjusts the flow rate and pressure of the cooling medium based on the calculation result.

Further, the emission side optical connector 14 has a guide member 51 that allows the cooling medium supplied from the first supply / discharge unit 24 to the first distribution unit 41 to flow along the axial direction of the optical fiber 11. The guide member 51 is formed by a small diameter portion 35b of the second sleeve 35. That is, in the second sleeve 35, the large diameter portion 35a is fixed to the first sleeve 34, and the small diameter portion 35b extends toward the probe 39 side. The small diameter portion 35b as the guide member 51 is located in the first distribution portion 41 and has a cantilever support at one end supported by the large diameter portion 35a. In the small diameter portion 35b as the guide member 51, a gap is secured between the outer surface and the inner surface of the first sleeve 34, and a gap is secured between the other end and the probe 39.

The small diameter portion 35b of the guide member 51 is arranged so as to face the first supply / discharge portion 24 and the second supply / discharge portion 25 in the radial direction. The small diameter portion 35b of the guide member 51 has a cylindrical shape, a first opening 52 communicating with the first distribution portion 41 is provided at one end in the axial direction, and a second supply / discharge portion 25 is provided at the other end in the axial direction. A second opening 53 that communicates with is provided.

Hereinafter, the operation of the transmission device 100 of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmission device 100 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a situation where the laser light source is arranged in a non-radiation region and the laser processing device is arranged in a high radiation region. That is, the transmission device 100 connects the laser light source in the non-radiation region and the laser processing device in the high radiation region. The laser beam of the laser light source is transmitted to the laser processing apparatus by the optical fiber 11 of the transmission apparatus 100, and the laser cutting operation or the like can be performed by remotely operating the laser processing apparatus. In such a usage mode, by transmitting the laser beam in the high radiation region, the wire 11a may generate heat on the tip end portion 11t side of the optical fiber 11 and approach the heat resistant temperature of the covering portion 11b.

On the other hand, the circulation device 15 according to the present embodiment supplies the cooling medium to the first supply / discharge unit 24 of the exit side optical connector 14 via the supply path L1. In the emission side optical connector 14, the cooling medium supplied to the first supply / discharge unit 24 circulates through the first distribution unit 41, and a part of the cooling medium reaches the second distribution unit 42 via the first communication unit 43. Further, a part of the cooling medium flowing through the first distribution unit 41 reaches the second distribution unit 42 via the second communication unit 45. A part of the cooling medium flowing through the first distribution section 41 reaches the second distribution section 42 via the bypass flow path 26.

In this way, the cooling medium flows through the first distribution unit 41, the first communication unit 43, and the second distribution unit 42, so that the optical fiber 11 is directly cooled. Further, in addition to directly cooling the optical fiber 11 by the cooling medium flowing through the first communication portion 43, the third sleeve 36 is also cooled. Therefore, the portion of the optical fiber 11 supported by the third sleeve 36 is indirectly cooled by the third sleeve 36.

Further, the cooling medium flows through the first distribution unit 41, the second communication unit 45, and the second distribution unit 42, so that the second sleeve 35 is cooled. Further, in the present embodiment, since the second communication portion 45 is formed so as to expose the outer peripheral surface 36b of the third sleeve 36, the cooling medium flows through the second communication portion 45, so that the third sleeve 36 is formed. It is cooled. Therefore, the optical fiber 11 is indirectly cooled via the second sleeve 35 and the third sleeve 36.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first communication unit 43 is narrower than the first distribution unit 41 and the second distribution unit 42. On the other hand, when a part of the cooling medium reaches the second communication section 42 via the two communication sections of the first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45, the cooling medium is distributed to these communication sections. While making it possible, the increase in internal pressure can be suppressed. By providing the bypass flow path 26, the increase in internal pressure is similarly suppressed.

The cooling medium that has reached the second distribution section 42 flows into the pipe 12 from the second supply / discharge section 25, flows along the cooling medium flow section 44 of the pipe 12, and reaches the second supply / discharge section 25 of the incident side optical connector 13. Is supplied to. In the incident side optical connector 13, the cooling medium supplied to the second supply / discharge unit 25 circulates through the second distribution unit 42, and a part of the cooling medium reaches the first distribution unit 41 via the first communication unit 43. Further, a part of the cooling medium flowing through the second distribution unit 42 reaches the first distribution unit 41 via the second communication unit 45. A part of the cooling medium flowing through the first distribution section 41 reaches the second distribution section 42 via the bypass flow path 26. As described above, also in the incident side optical connector 13, the cooling medium is the path of the second distribution unit 42, the first communication unit 43, the first distribution unit 41, and the second distribution unit 42, the second communication unit 45, The optical fiber 11 is cooled by flowing through the path of the first distribution unit 41. Further, by allowing a part of the cooling medium to reach the second communication section 42 via the bypass flow path 26, the cooling medium is circulated through the first communication section 43 and the second communication section 45, and the increase in internal pressure is suppressed. it can.

The cooling medium that has reached the first distribution unit 41 flows from the first supply / discharge unit 24 into the discharge path L2 and is supplied to the circulation device 15. The circulation device 15 adjusts the temperature of the cooling medium supplied from the discharge path L2, and then circulates the cooling medium again in the supply path L1. By passing the cooling medium through the flow path of one system in this way, the entire optical fiber 11 is surely cooled, and the temperature rise of the wire 11a is suppressed.

As described above, the optical connector 10 according to the present embodiment includes the housing 21 that houses the optical fiber 11, the fixing member 22 that fixes the optical fiber 11 in the housing 21 while surrounding the outer periphery of the optical fiber 11, and the inside of the housing 21. A cooling medium is supplied to a distribution unit 23 provided on both sides of the optical fiber 11 in the axial direction with respect to the fixing member 22, and one distribution unit 23 of the two distribution units 23 is supplied, and the cooling medium is discharged from the other distribution unit 23. The first supply / discharge section 24 and the second supply / discharge section 25, and the first communication section 43 and the fixing member 22 which are arranged in the portion of the fixing member 22 facing the optical fiber 11 and communicate with the two distribution sections 23. A second communication portion 45, which is provided in a portion different from the portion facing the optical fiber 11 and communicates with the two distribution portions 23, is provided.

Therefore, the portion of the optical fiber 11 fixed by the fixing member 22 is directly cooled by the cooling medium flowing through the first communication portion 43. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be improved. Further, since the cooling medium can be bypassed from the first distribution unit 41 to the second distribution unit 42 via the second communication unit 45 provided separately from the first communication unit 43, the first communication unit 43 is narrow. Even so, the cooling medium can be circulated through the first communication unit 43 while suppressing the increase in pressure in the distribution unit 23. Therefore, the cooling medium can flow smoothly into the housing 21. Further, the fixing member 22 is cooled by the second communication portion 45, so that the optical fiber 11 is indirectly cooled via the fixing member 22. As a result, the optical connector 10 for suppressing heat generation of the optical fiber 11 and improving reliability is provided.

In the optical connector 10 according to the present embodiment, the second communication portion 45 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface 35d of the second sleeve 35. Therefore, the second communication portion 45 can be easily formed.

In the optical connector 10 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of second communication portions 45 are provided in the circumferential direction of the fixing member 22. Therefore, since the fixing member 22 can be cooled at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction, the cooling efficiency can be improved.

In the optical connector 10 according to the present embodiment, the first distribution unit 41, which is one of the two distribution units 23, is provided in a portion including the end portion of the optical fiber 11, and the second distribution unit 23 is the other distribution unit 23. 42 has a diameter-expanded portion 42a at a portion connected to the first communication portion 43 and the second communication portion 45. Therefore, since the flow path resistance of the cooling medium can be reduced in the diameter-expanded portion 42a, the cooling medium can be smoothly circulated between the first communication portion 43 and the second communication portion 45 and the second communication portion 42. Can be done.

The transmission device 100 according to the present embodiment supports the optical fiber 11, the base end portion 11r and the tip end portion 11t of the optical fiber 11, respectively, and has an optical connector 23 inside, respectively, and two of the optical fibers 11. A pipe 12 that surrounds the part exposed from the two optical connectors and connects the distribution parts 23 of the two optical connectors, and a pipe 12 that connects the distribution parts 23 of the two optical connectors separately from the pipe 12 to connect the two optical connectors. The exit side optical connector 14 including the circulation device 15 for circulating the cooling medium through the flow path including the distribution unit 23 and the pipe 12 and supporting at least the tip end portion of the optical fiber among the two optical connectors is described above. Optical connector 10 is used. In the transmission device 100, by providing the bypass flow path 26, the cooling medium can be circulated through the communication section 43 while suppressing the increase in pressure in the flow section 23. Therefore, it is possible to secure a cooling medium having a sufficient cooling capacity for the optical fiber 11 in the pipe 12 by a required flow rate. Further, when the light emitting side optical connector 14 is used in a high radiation region or the like, heat generation of the optical fiber 11 connected to the light emitting side optical connector 14 can be suppressed.

In the transmission device 100 according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned optical connector 10 is used for both of the two optical connectors, and the circulation device 15 has the first supply / discharge unit 24 of one optical connector 10 and the other optical connector. The second supply / discharge section 25 of 10 is connected, and the pipe 12 connects the second supply / discharge section 25 of one optical connector 10 and the first supply / discharge section 24 of the other optical connector 10. As a result, a system of flow paths including one optical connector 10, a circulation device 15, the other optical connector 10, and a pipe 12 is formed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably cool the entire optical fiber 11.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the pipe 12 is connected to the housing 21 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the configuration in which the pipe 12 is connected to the housing 21 via the connecting pipe 16 is also possible. Good.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pressure of the cooling medium in the distribution section 23 of the optical connector 10 may be adjusted by adjusting the inner diameter of the pipe 12. Here, assuming that the inner diameter of the pipe 12 is r, the length of the pipe 12 is L, the flow velocity of the cooling medium is v, the density of the cooling medium is ρ, and the pipe friction coefficient of the pipe 12 is λ, the circulation portion 23 of the optical connector 10 Each part is designed so that the withstand voltage P and the target value Q of the flow rate of the cooling medium satisfy the following equations 1 and 2.

P> λLρv ² / 2r ・ ・ ・ (Equation 1)
Q = πr ² v ・ ・ ・ (Equation 2)

According to the above formulas 1 and 2, for example, when the flow rate of the cooling medium is secured at 3 L / min, the fiber transmission distance (length L of the pipe 12) is set to 100 m, and the withstand voltage P in the flow section 23 of the optical connector 10 is set to 1 MPa. Then, the inner diameter of the pipe 12 becomes about Φ8 mm.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cooling water is applied as the cooling medium, but the cooling medium is not limited to the cooling water, and may be, for example, air.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the incident side optical connector 13 and the outgoing side optical connector 14 have the same configuration, but they may have different configurations.

10 Optical connector 11 Optical fiber 11a Wire 11b Coating part 11r, 12r, 13r, 14r Base end part 11t, 12t, 13t, 14t Tip part 12 Piping 13 Incident side optical connector 14 Outgoing side optical connector 15 Circulator 16 Connecting pipe 21 Housing 22 Fixing member 23 Distribution part 24 1st supply / discharge part 25 2nd supply / discharge part 26 Bypass flow path 26a 1st connection part 26b 2nd connection part 31 Main body 31a Side connection part 32 1st connection part 33 2nd connection Part 33a Connecting hole 34 First sleeve 34a, 35a Large diameter part 34b, 35b Small diameter part 35 Second sleeve 35c Inner peripheral surface 35d, 36b Outer peripheral surface 36 Third sleeve 36a Surface 37 Gap 38 Fourth sleeve 39 Probe 39a Joint 41 1st distribution section 42 2nd distribution section 42a Diameter expansion section 43 1st communication section 44 Flow section 45 2nd communication section 51 Guide member 52 1st opening 53 2nd opening 100 Transmission device L1 Supply path L2 Discharge path

Claims (10)

A housing that houses an optical fiber
A fixing member fixed in the housing so as to surround the outer periphery of the optical fiber,
In the housing, distribution portions provided on both sides of the optical fiber in the axial direction with respect to the fixing member, and
A supply / discharge unit that supplies a cooling medium to one of the two distribution units or discharges the cooling medium from the other distribution unit.
A first communication portion, which is arranged in a portion of the fixing member facing the optical fiber and communicates with the two communication portions,
An optical connector provided in a portion of the fixing member different from the portion facing the optical fiber, and provided with a second communicating portion that communicates the two communication portions. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the second communication portion is arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the fixing member. The optical connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the second communication portions are provided in the circumferential direction of the fixing member. One of the two distribution sections is provided in a portion including the end portion of the optical fiber.
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the other distribution unit has a diameter-expanded portion in a portion connected to the first communication portion and the second communication portion. The fixing member has a tubular shape and has a holding member for holding the optical fiber on the inner surface.
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second communication portion is provided so that a part of the holding member is exposed. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the supply / discharge unit has a side connection portion connected to a side portion of the housing in the axial direction of the optical fiber. A claim that is provided separately from the first communication section and the second communication section, and further includes a bypass flow path that connects one of the distribution sections and the other through the outside of the housing. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6. With optical fiber
An optical connector that supports the base end and the tip of the optical fiber and has a distribution part inside, respectively.
A pipe that surrounds two portions of the optical fiber exposed from the optical connector and connects the distribution portions of the two optical connectors,
A circulation device that connects the distribution sections of the two optical connectors separately from the piping and circulates the cooling medium through a flow path including the distribution section and the piping of the two optical connectors.
With
A transmission device in which the optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is used for the optical connector that supports at least the tip of the optical fiber among the two optical connectors. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is used for both of the two optical connectors.
The circulation device connects the supply / discharge portion of one of the optical connectors and the supply / discharge portion of the other optical connector.
The transmission device according to claim 8, wherein the pipe connects the supply / discharge portion of one of the optical connectors and the supply / discharge portion of the other optical connector. When the inner diameter of the pipe is r, the length of the pipe is L, the flow velocity of the cooling medium is v, the density of the cooling medium is ρ, and the pipe friction coefficient of the pipe is λ, the pressure P in the flow section and Q is the target value of the flow rate of the cooling medium.
P> λLρv ² / 2r ・ ・ ・ (Equation 1)
q = πr ² v ・ ・ ・ (Equation 2)
The transmission device according to claim 8 or 9, which is designed to satisfy the requirements.

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