JPH0339764Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] When fusion splicing optical fibers, the optical fiber is usually inserted into a V-groove and held and fixed with a clamp. The present invention relates to a clamp for holding down the optical fiber.

Background and purpose of the invention Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional clamp for holding down optical fibers.

10 is a V block, 12 is a V groove, and 14 is an optical fiber.

16 is a clamp piece whose zx cross section is V-shaped. This clamp piece 16 is attached to the tip of an arm 18 in the y-axis direction, the arm 18 is attached to the tip of an arm 20 in the x-axis direction, and the arm 20 is pinned 22 to the body of the welding machine so that it can be raised and lowered freely. It's summery.

As is well known, raise the arm 20 and open the V groove 1.
Insert the optical fiber 14 into the clamp piece 2, fold down the arm 20, and press it with the sharp bottom surface 17 of the clamp piece 16.

However, if the attachment of the arm 18 to the arm 20 and the attachment of the clamp piece 16 to the arm 18 are not accurate, the following problem will occur.

1 If there is a shift around the x-axis as shown by the arrow 26 as shown in "Fig. 2", for example, if the arm 18 is tilted downward, the clamp piece 16 will be shifted as shown in an exaggerated manner in "Fig. 3". The bottom surface 17 of the optical fiber 14 does not come into close contact with the bottom of the V groove 12, making it difficult to hold down the optical fiber 14.

2 When tilted around the y-axis as shown by arrow 28,
As shown in FIG. 4, the optical fiber 14 cannot be held down.

3. If it swings around the z-axis as shown by the arrow 30, the bottom surface 17 of the clamp piece 16 and the bottom of the V groove 12 will intersect at a certain angle as shown in "Figure 5".

4 If it shifts in the x direction as shown by arrow 32, the
As shown in the figure, the optical fiber 14 cannot be held down.

Therefore, even if the above-mentioned inaccuracy occurs when the arm 20 is folded down as described above, an optical fiber presser that can automatically absorb the inaccuracy and accurately hold the optical fiber 14 has been developed. A clamp is required, and one that satisfies such requirements has been proposed (Utility Model Publication No. 56-014489).

This invention satisfies the above requirements due to its structure different from known ones.

Example "Figure 7" is a perspective view of the main part, and its -
The cross-section of is shown in "Fig. 8".

A hemispherical recess 3 is provided on the upper surface of the clamp piece 16.
4 (Fig. 9, Fig. 11).

36 is a ball (Figure 9). This is recess 3
4 (small radius), and when inserted into the recess 34, a gap 38 is created (FIG. 8). This ball 36 may be completely spherical, but since what is required is the lower half, in this case the upper half is omitted.

40 is an axis. It is attached to the tip of the arm 18 so that it can be moved up and down slightly in the z-axis direction, and is prevented from falling by a collar 42 at the upper end.
The lower end thereof is provided integrally with the neck 44, and the aforementioned ball 36 underneath is attached.

A spring 46 urges the shaft 40 downward.

48 is a hanger (Figures 9 and 10). It is a downward U-shaped metal fitting, and its upper surface 49 is provided with a long hole 50 that is long in the x direction. Its width in the y direction is approximately equal to the diameter of the neck 44 (FIG. 10). Hanger 4
8 fits into the neck 44 at the elongated hole 50 and is hooked onto the ball 36 to prevent it from falling.

The clamp piece 16 is attached to this hanger 48.
It is fixed with screws 52.

Effect 1 for displacement around the x-axis.

The clamp piece 16 is opposed to the ball 36 by means of a hemispherical recess 34, so that it can rotate about the x-axis. Further, the shaft 40 has some margin for vertical movement due to the spring 46. Therefore, when the arm 20 is pushed, it will not become as shown in "Figure 3" above, and the bottom surface 17 of the clamp piece 16 will have a V groove 1.
It will automatically come into close contact with the bottom of 2.

2 For the tilt around the y-axis.

The clamp piece 16 can freely tilt relative to the ball 36. Therefore, the clamp piece 16 does not fit into the V-groove 12 correctly, rather than as shown in FIG. 4 above.

3 For runout around the z-axis.

The clamp piece 16 is rotatable about the z-axis relative to the ball 36. Therefore, even if the arm 18 is oblique to the V-groove 12, the clamp piece 16 will fit correctly into the V-groove 12.

4 For displacement in the x direction.

There is a gap 38 between the inner surface of the recess 34 and the ball 36, and there is a long hole 50 in the x direction, etc.
Since the clamp piece 16 is movable in the x-axis direction, the clamp piece 16 can move relative to the ball 36 (i.e., relative to the arm 18).
Can be displaced in the x direction.

5 As described above, even if there is some inaccuracy between the arms 20 and 18 or between the arm 18 and the clamp piece 16, when the arm 20 is folded down as described above, the clamp piece 16 will automatically You will be able to move to the correct position and take the correct posture.

Therefore, it is no longer necessary to make the dimensions and assembly accuracy of the arms 20, 18, etc. very strict, resulting in cost reduction.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art, Figure 2 is x, y,
Explanatory diagrams of movement in the z-axis direction, Figures 3, 4, and 5
6 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of various cases in which the adjustment of the clamp piece 16 etc. is inaccurate, and FIG. 7 and the following are related to embodiments of this invention. The figure is a cross-sectional view taken at - in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is an exploded explanatory view of the main parts, the - cross section is shown in FIG. 10, and the - cross section is shown in FIG. 11. 12: V groove, 14: optical fiber, 16: clamp piece, 18, 20: arm, 34: recess,
36: Ball, 38: Gap.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] One end of the arm 20 provided in the x-axis direction is pinned so that it can be raised and lowered freely, and the arm 18 in the y-axis direction is attached to its free end, and a clamp with a V-shaped xz cross section is attached to the tip of the arm 18. In the optical fiber holding clamp provided with the piece 16, a shaft 40 is attached to the tip of the arm 18 so as to be able to move up and down in the z-axis direction and to be elastically biased downward at all times. , a hanger 48 with a ball 36 attached to its lower end and a long hole 50 extending in the x direction on its upper surface.
is fitted into the mounting neck of the ball 36 of the shaft 40 at the elongated hole 50 so as to be movable in the x and z directions, and a hemispherical recess 34 having a radius larger than the ball 36 is provided on the upper surface. The clamp piece 16 is inserted into the ball 36 such that a gap 38 is formed within the recess 34.
A clamp for holding an optical fiber, characterized in that it is fixed to a hanger 48 in a state where the fiber is housed.