Title: Optical fiber fixing device with fixing member speed controller and related method
Abstract: An optical fiber fixing device has a V-grooved block, a clamp mechanism, a stopper mechanism, a sensor, a motor, an operator section and a controller. The V-grooved block has a top surface formed with a V-groove to support an optical fiber thereon. The clamp mechanism has a clamp portion to fix the optical fiber on the V-grooved block. The stopper mechanism retains the clamp mechanism before the clamp portion is brought into contact with the optical fiber. The sensor outputs a detection signal to the controller upon detection of the clamp mechanism being brought into contact with the stopper mechanism. Upon receipt of that signal, the controller drives the motor to lower the stopper mechanism. In sequential operation with downward movement of the stopper mechanism, the clamp portion presses the optical fiber against the V-groove to fix the optical fiber in place between the clamp portion and the V-grooved block.
Patent Number: 6,975,804 Issued on 12/13/2005 to Mizushima, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Mizushima; Toshiro (Yamaga, JP);
Takahashi; Kenji (Sakura, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Fujikura Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
769771 |
| Filed:
|
February 3, 2004 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Feb 04, 2003[JP] | P2003-027008 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
385/137; 385/147 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G02B 006/00 |
| Field of Search: |
385/137,76,53,92,147
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 3902784 | Sep., 1975 | Dakss et al.
| |
| 3999841 | Dec., 1976 | Dakss et al.
| |
| 5170456 | Dec., 1992 | Itoh et al.
| |
| 5412748 | May., 1995 | Furuyama et al.
| |
| 5784509 | Jul., 1998 | Yamane et al.
| |
| 6325883 | Dec., 2001 | Backer et al.
| |
| 6368441 | Apr., 2002 | Yamada.
| |
| 6778754 | Aug., 2004 | Hirayama et al.
| |
| 6788950 | Sep., 2004 | Raissinia et al.
| |
| 2003/0077034 | Apr., 2003 | Chiba et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 10-39161 | Feb., 1998 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Prasad; Chandrika
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue Mion, PLLC
Claims
1. An optical fiber fixing device, comprising:
a fixing member fixing an optical fiber in a positioning groove;
a stopper section retaining the fixing member before the fixing member is brought
into contact with the optical fiber;
a driver section moving the fixing member in a first direction via the stopper
section; and
a controller controlling the driver section to adjust a moving speed of the fixing member.
2. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member
vertically moves relative to the positioning groove in conjunction with movement
of the stopper section.
3. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the controller
adjusts the moving speed according to a thickness of the optical fiber.
4. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member
comprises: a clamp portion pressing the optical fiber against the positioning groove;
and a clamp arm comprising a transfer portion with a first end connected to the
clamp portion, and an acting portion with a first end integrally connected to a
center of the transfer portion.
5. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member
has a "T" shaped cross-section.
6. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 4, wherein: the fixing
member has a "T" shaped cross-section; the acting portion is the base of the "T";
and the transfer portion is the top of the "T".
7. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 4, wherein the stopper
section comprises: a guide member retaining a second end of the acting portion
of the clamp arm opposite the first end; and a rack integrally formed with the
guide member.
8. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 7, wherein the guide member
retains the second end of the acting portion within a groove.
9. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 7, wherein the stopper
section further comprises: a fiber guide arranged to guide the optical fiber into
the positioning groove.
10. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 7, wherein the driver
section comprises: a motor generating a drive power in response to a command from
the controller; and a pinion gear fixedly secured to an output shaft of the motor,
wherein, when the motor is driven, the pinion gear and the rack mesh with one another
to move the guide member in the first direction.
11. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor connected to the controller and determining whether the fixing member
is retained by the stopper section or not.
12. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor
detects a magnet mounted to the fixing member.
13. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an image pickup section for obtaining an image of the optical fiber; and an operator
section, connected to the image pickup section and the controller, and determining
whether the optical fiber is fixed in place between the fixing member and the positioning
groove with no gap.
14. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 13, wherein, when the
operator section determines that the optical fiber is not fixed in place between
the fixing member and the positioning groove with no gap, the operator section
outputs a signal to the controller to move the fixing member away from the optical
fiber via the stopper section.
15. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 14, wherein, after the
fixing member has been moved away from the optical fiber, the controller moves
the fixing member toward the optical fiber at a higher speed than that attained
in a preceding operation via the stopper section subsequent to the stopper section
being separated from the optical fiber.
16. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 14, wherein the operator
section determines whether the optical fiber is correctly placed in the positioning
groove through execution of image processing subsequent to the stopper section
being separated from the optical fiber.
17. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 16, wherein, when the
operator section determines that the optical fiber is not correctly placed in the
positioning groove, the operator section provides an operator with a notification.
18. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1 wherein the positioning
groove comprises multiple grooves.
19. An optical fiber fixing device, comprising:
fixing means for fixing an optical fiber in a positioning groove;
stopper means for retaining the fixing means before the fixing means is brought
into contact with the optical fiber;
driver means for moving the fixing means in a first direction via the stopper
means; and
controller means for controlling the driver means to adjust a moving speed of
the fixing means.
20. An optical fiber fixing device, comprising:
a fixing member comprising a bottom surface;
a block comprising a positioning groove arranged on a top surface opposing the
bottom surface of the fixing member;
a stopper mechanism supporting the fixing member;
a motor directly operatively connected to the stopper mechanism to move the stopper
mechanism and the fixing member.
21. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 20, further comprising
a controller electrically connected to the motor to vary the speed of the motor.
22. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 21, further comprising
a camera electrically connected to the controller and arranged to provide video
feedback regarding the position of the optical fiber within the positioning groove.
23. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 22, further comprising
an operator section comprising an image processor that determines the position
of the optical fiber based upon the video feedback from the camera.
24. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 23, wherein the operator
section comprises a monitor that outputs the video feedback obtained by the camera
so that it may be viewed by an operator.
25. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the fixing
member comprises: a clamp portion providing the first surface of the fixing member;
and a clamp arm, wherein the clamp arm comprises a transfer portion connected to
the clamp portion and an acting portion connected to the stopper mechanism.
26. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 25, wherein the clamp
arm is formed into a "T" shaped cross-section.
27. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 26, wherein the base portion
of the "T" shaped cross-section of the clamp arm comprises an acting portion, and
is inserted into a groove portion of the stopper mechanism.
28. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the fixing
member comprises a magnet.
29. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 28, wherein the stopper
mechanism comprises a magnetic sensor to determine the position of the magnet arranged
on the fixing member.
30. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the stopper
mechanism comprises a rack directly connected to a pinion gear of the motor to
move the stopper mechanism.
31. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the block
comprises a plurality of positioning grooves provided for multi-core optical fibers.
32. A method of fixing an optical fiber comprising the steps of:
arranging an optical fiber in a positioning groove;
moving a fixing member to the optical fiber;
retaining the fixing member using a stopper section before the fixing member
is brought into contact with the optical fiber; and
controlling a moving speed of the fixing member and fixing the optical fiber
via the stopper section.
33. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 32, further comprising
the step of determining a thickness of the optical fiber, wherein, in the step
of controlling a moving speed of the fixing member, the moving speed is determined
based upon the thickness of the optical fiber.
34. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 32, further comprising
the step of determining if the fixing member is retained by the stopper section.
35. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 32, further comprising
the step of determining whether the optical fiber is fixed in place between the
fixing means and the positioning groove with no gap.
36. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 35, wherein, if
it is determined that the optical fiber is not fixed in place between the fixing
means and the positioning groove with no gap, the fixing member is moved away from
the optical fiber.
37. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 36, wherein, after
the fixing member has been moved away from the optical fiber, the fixing member
is moved toward the optical fiber at a higher speed than that of the preceding
movement of the fixing member towards the optical fiber.
38. The method of fixing an optical fiber according to claim 35, further comprising
the step of notifying an operator if it is determined that the optical fiber is
not correctly placed in the positioning groove.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-27008,
filed on Feb. 4, 2003 in the Japanese Patent Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber fixing device and a related
method for fixing an optical fiber on a V-grooved block in an optical fiber fusion
splicing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical fiber fixing device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.
10-39161 and reproduced herein in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, an optical
fiber fixing device 101 is comprised of a main frame 103, a lid 105,
a V-grooved block 107, a stepping motor 109, a presser block 111,
a support table 113, a link mechanism 115, a tension spring 117
and an actuator 119. The V-grooved block 107, the stepping motor
109 and the actuator 119 are disposed on a main frame 103
side. The presser block 111, the support table 113, the link mechanism
115 and the tension spring 117 are disposed on the lid 105 side.
The presser block 111 is mounted to a lower end of the support table 113.
The support table 113 is pulled upward at all times due to a resilient force
of the tension spring 117 and is vertically moved via the link mechanism
115 by the stepping motor 109. The link and is vertically moved via
the link mechanism 115 by the stepping motor 109. The link mechanism
115 is supported on the lid 105 to rotate around a fulcrum S. The
tension spring 117 has one end coupled to the lid 105 and the other
end coupled to the support table 113.
Under such a construction, as shown in FIG. 2, an optical fiber 121
is fixed in place between the V-grooved block 107 and the presser block
111. After the lid 105 has been closed toward the main frame 103,
the link mechanism 115 is driven by the stepping motor 109 to allow
one end of the link mechanism 115 to be pushed upward. This causes the other
end of the link mechanism 115 to be lowered, thereby compelling the support
table 113 and the presser block 111 to be pushed downward. When this
takes place, the V-grooved block 107 is driven by the actuator 119
to be pushed upward. Since the optical fiber 121 is pressed downward by
the presser block 111 and pushed upward by the V-grooved block 107,
the optical fiber fixing device 101 fixes the optical fiber 121 in
place between the V-grooved block 107 and the presser block 111.
However, this fixing mechanism has several drawbacks. For example, due to
the use of such a complex fixing mechanism, manufacturing costs and maintenance
costs increase. The optical fixing device 101 uses, as the fixing mechanism,
the V-grooved block 107, the stepping motor 109, the link mechanism
115, the tension spring 117 and the actuator 119. Accordingly,
the manufacturing cost and the maintenance cost of the optical fiber fixing device
101 increase.
Further, due to the use of the spring as one part of the fixing mechanism,
unevenness occurs in the force required for pressing the optical fiber onto a V-grooved
block. The optical fiber fixing device 101 urges the support table 113
upward at all times using the tension spring 117. Since the resilient force
of the spring normally varies depending on its age (i.e., the amount of times it
has been used) and the ambient temperature, etc., a force required for the link
mechanism 115 to push the support table 113 downward differs in every
fixing operation. Consequently, unevenness occurs in the force required for pressing
the optical fiber 121 onto the V-grooved block 107.
Still further, due to the absence of a mechanism for controlling the moving
speed of the fixing member, the optical fiber is not fixed in place between a fixing
member (presser block) and a V-grooved block by taking a thickness of the optical
fiber into consideration. In general, the thicker the optical fiber is (i.e., the
larger the number of core wires of the optical fiber), the stronger repulsion force
the optical fiber has, wherein the repulsion force is generated at the time of
bringing the fixing member into contact with the optical fiber to push the fixing
member upward. For this reason, in a case where the optical fiber is thick, if
the fixing member is lowered at a low speed, the fixing member is pushed back in
response to the repulsion force of the optical fiber before the fixing member pushes
the optical fiber onto the V-grooved block 107. Accordingly, in the case
where the optical fiber is thick, the fixing member needs to be lowered at a higher
speed than that at which the fixing member is lowered when the optical fiber is thin.
Even further, due to the absence of a mechanism for automatically confirming
a fixed status of the optical fiber, it takes much time to confirm such a status.
When confirming the fixed status of the optical fiber 121, an operator needs
to open the lid 105.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been completed with the above in mind and has an object
to provide an optical fiber fixing device and a related method that are able to
easily move a fixing member in a desired direction and control the moving speed
of the fixing member based on a fixed status of the optical fiber.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical fiber
fixing
device which allows an optical fiber, placed in a positioning groove, to be fixed,
comprising a fixing member fixing the optical fiber in the positioning groove,
a stopper section retaining the fixing member before the fixing member is brought
into contact with the optical fiber, a driver section moving the fixing member
in a desired one direction via the stopper section, and a controller controlling
the driver section to adjust a moving speed of the fixing member.
According to the present invention, when attempting to move the fixing
member closer to the optical fiber under a condition where the optical fiber is
placed in the positioning groove, the fixing member is retained with the stopper
member prior to being brought into contact with the optical fiber. The controller
controls the driver section to adjust the moving speed of the fixing member via
the stopper member, thereby permitting the fixing member to be moved in the desired
one direction. Accordingly, the fixing member can be easily moved in the desired
one direction and the moving speed of the fixing member can be controlled.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method of fixing
an optical fiber, placed in a positioning groove, using a fixing member, the method
comprising the steps of moving the fixing member to the optical fiber under a condition
where the optical fiber is placed in the positioning groove, retaining the fixing
member using a stopper section before the fixing member is brought into contact
with the optical fiber, and controlling a moving speed of the fixing member and
fixing the optical fiber via the stopper section.
According to the present invention, when attempting to move the fixing
member closer to the optical fiber under a condition where the optical fiber is
placed in the positioning groove, the fixing member is retained with the stopper
member prior to being brought into contact with the optical fiber. Then, the moving
speed of the fixing member is controlled to fix the optical fiber in place via
the stopper member. Accordingly, the fixing member can be easily moved in the desired
one direction and the moving speed of the fixing member can be controlled.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more
apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof,
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an optical fiber fixing device of the related
art under a condition where a lid is closed.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the optical fiber fixing device of the related
art under a condition where an optical fiber remains in a fixed state.
FIG. 3 is a structural view of an optical fiber fixing device, remaining in
a status prior to fixing an optical fiber, of a first exemplary embodiment according
to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a structural view of an optical fiber fixing device, remaining in
a status subsequent to the optical fiber being fixed in place, of the first exemplary
embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control method related to the first exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modified form of the control method related
to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a structural view of an optical fiber fixing device, remaining in
a status prior to fixing an optical fiber, of a second exemplary embodiment according
to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a structural view of an optical fiber fixing device, remaining in
a status subsequent to the optical fiber being fixed in place, of the second exemplary
embodiment according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with
reference to FIGS. 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings. The described exemplary
embodiments are intended to assist the understanding of the invention, and are
not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. In the figures, a
lateral direction of a V-grooved block is assigned to an X-axis, a longitudinal
direction is assigned to a Y-axis and a height direction is assigned to a Z-axis,
with the X-, Y- and Z-axes intersecting with respect to one another.
First Exemplary Embodiment
An optical fiber fixing device of the first exemplary embodiment is mounted on
a fusion splicing apparatus that allows two optical fibers to be fusion spliced.
Before cut end faces of the two optical fibers are mutually abutted and then fusion
spliced, the respective optical fibers are fixed on a V-grooved block by the optical
fiber fixing device.
As shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber fixing device
11 is comprised of
the V-grooved block
15, a clamp mechanism
17, a direct acting mechanism
22, a stopper mechanism
23, a sensor
27, a motor
29,
a TV camera
31, an operation section
33 and a controller
37.
The V-grooved block
15 has a V-groove
15a on a top surface
thereof. An optical fiber
13 is placed on the V-groove
15a.
The clamp mechanism (a fixing member)
17 serves to hold the optical fiber
13 on the V-grooved block
15 and is comprised of a clamp portion
19 and a clamp arm
21. The clamp portion
19 is disposed on
a +Z side in opposition to the V-grooved block
15. The clamp portion
19
moves downward to be closer to the optical fiber
13 and finally presses
the optical fiber
13 against the V-groove (a positioning groove)
15a.
The clamp arm
21 is formed in a T-shape configuration that has a transfer
portion
21a, an acting portion
21b and a magnet
21c.
The transfer portion
21a is placed along the X-axis, and has one
end connected to the clamp portion
19 and the other end connected to the
direct acting mechanism
22. The acting portion
21b is placed
along the Z-axis, and is integrally connected to a lower central portion of the
transfer portion
21a. The magnet
21c is disposed on
a lower end face of the acting portion
21b. The clamp arm
21
is guided by the direct acting mechanism
22 to be upwardly or downwardly
moveable along the Z-axis. With the clamp arm
21 moving downward, the clamp
portion
19 presses the optical fiber
13 against the V-groove
15a,
thereby permitting the optical fiber
13 to be fixed on the V-grooved block
15. Also, in place of the direct acting mechanism
22, a rotary mechanism
may be employed to rotate the clamp arm
21 to allow the optical fiber
13
to be fixed on the V-grooved block
15.
The stopper mechanism
23 includes a guide member
24 and a rack
25. The guide member
24 is located on a +X side of the V-grooved
block
15 along the Z-axis. Formed on an upper area of the guide member
24
along the Y-axis is a groove portion
24a into which the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is inserted. The rack
25 is
integrally formed on the guide member
24 along the Z-axis on a -Y side of
the guide member
24.
The motor
29 is located on a -Y side of the stopper mechanism
23.
A pinion gear
26 is fixedly secured to an output shaft of the motor
29.
The pinion gear
26 is located on the -Y side of the stopper mechanism
23
along the Z-axis. With such a structure, the pinion gear
26 is in mesh with
the rack
25. Accordingly, if the output shaft rotates in a clockwise direction
or a counterclockwise direction based on a driving of the motor
29, the
stopper mechanism
23 is moved upward or downward via the pinion gear
26.
Also, at an initial position of the stopper mechanism
23, the pinion gear
26 meshes with the rack
25 at the lowest end thereof (see FIG. 3).
Upon sequential operation accompanied by action to close an upper opening of
a body section (not shown) using a lid portion (not shown) of the optical fiber
fixing device
11, the clamp arm
21 is guided by the direct acting
mechanism
22 to move downward. Downward movement of the clamp arm
21
causes the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 to be inserted
into the groove portion
24a of the guide member
24. Under
such a condition, the clamp portion
19 is positioned in an upper area over
the V-grooved block
15 (see FIG. 3). Thereafter, if the motor
29
is driven to downwardly move the stopper mechanism
23, the clamp arm
21
progressively moves downward while causing the clamp portion
19 to press
the optical fiber
13 against the groove
15a (see FIG. 4).
This allows the optical fiber
13 to be fixed in place between the V-grooved
block
15 and the clamp portion
19.
The sensor
27 includes a magnet sensor and, in an initial position of
the stopper mechanism
23, is disposed in a position in close proximity to
a bottom surface of the groove portion
24a of the guide member
24
on the -Y side of the guide member
24. The sensor
27 serves to determine
whether the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought
into contact with the bottom surface of the groove portion
24a of
the guide member
24 or not. Due to the presence of the magnet
21c
mounted to the lower end face of the acting portion
21b, if the
acting portion
21b is moved closer to the bottom surface of the groove
portion
24a of the guide member
24 at the initial position
of the stopper mechanism
23, the sensor
27 detects the presence of
the magnet
21c, thereby outputting a detection signal to the controller
37. Also, the sensor
27 may be disposed in any position provided
that such a position is effective to allow the sensor
27 to determine whether
the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought into
contact with the bottom surface of the groove portion
24a of the
guide member
24 or not. For instance, the sensor
27 may be disposed
in an area close proximity to the bottom surface of the groove portion
24a
of the guide member
24 on the +Y side of the guide member
24.
Disposed in an upper area of the V-grooved block
15 on the -X side
of the V-grooved block
15 is the TV camera
31 that observes a fixed
status of the optical fiber
13 placed on the V-groove
15a.
The TV camera
31 is connected to the operator section
33 through
a cable. The fixed status of the optical fiber
13 observed by the TV camera
31 is outputted to the operator section
33 and displayed over a monitor
35.
The operator section
33 executes image processing of image data outputted
from the TV camera
31 and determines whether the optical fiber
13
is fixed with no gap between the clamp portion
19 and the V-grooved block
15 or not. Under a condition where the optical fiber
13 is pressed
by the clamp portion
19, if the fixed status of the optical fiber
13
is favorable, the operator section
33 outputs a stop signal to the controller
37 whereas if the fixed status of the optical fiber
13 remains unfavorable,
the operator section
33 outputs a re-operation signal to the controller
37.
The controller
37 is connected to the sensor
27, the operator section
33 and the motor
29 via the cable. The controller
37 controls
start/stop of the motor
29, a rotational direction of the output shaft and
a rotating speed of the output shaft based on the detection signal, the stop signal
and the re-operation signal.
In the presently filed embodiment, if the output shaft of the motor
29
rotates in the clockwise direction as viewed on a -X side of the motor
29,
the pinion gear
26 rotates in the clockwise direction as viewed on the -X
side of the motor
29. This causes the stopper mechanism
23 to be
shifted in a +Z direction (upward). Further, if the output shaft of the motor
29
rotates in the counterclockwise direction as viewed on the -X side of the motor
29, the pinion gear
26 rotates in the counterclockwise direction
as viewed on the -X side of the motor
29. This causes the stopper mechanism
23 to be shifted in a -Z direction (downward).
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling the optical fiber fixing
device
11. Upon sequential operation accompanied by downward movement of
the lid portion, the clamp arm
21 is guided by the direct acting mechanism
22 to move downward (step S
1). The sensor
27 determines whether
the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought into
contact with the stopper mechanism
23 or not (Step S
2). When the
acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought into contact
with the stopper mechanism
23, the sensor
27 outputs the detection
signal to the controller
37 (Step
3). Upon receipt of the detection
signal, the controller
37 drives the motor
29 to move the stopper
mechanism
23 downward (Step
4). When this takes place, the controller
37 operates to permit the output shaft of the motor
29 to rotate
in the counterclockwise direction as viewed on the -X side of the motor
29
such that the stopper mechanism
23 is progressively moved downward via the
pinion gear
26 and the rack
25. During downward movement of the stopper
mechanism
23, the clamp arm
21 and the clamp portion
19 also
move downward. Through downward movement of the clamp portion
19, the optical
fiber
13 is pressed against the V-groove
15a.
The operator section
33 confirms the fixed status of the optical fiber
13 and determines whether the optical fiber
13 needs to be correctly
fixed again or not (Step
5). In particular, the operator section
33
receives the fixed status of the optical fiber
13 as image data from the
TV camera
31 at regular time intervals. Then, the operator section
33
carries out image processing of the received image data and determines whether
the optical fiber
13 is fixed in place with no gap between the clamp portion
19 and the V-grooved block
15 or not. If it is determined that there
is no need for correctly fixing the optical fiber again, the operator section
33
outputs the stop signal to the controller
37 (Step S
6). If it is
determined that there is a need for correctly fixing the optical fiber again, the
operator section
33 outputs the re-operation signal to the controller
37
(Step S
7). Upon receipt of the stop signal, the controller
37 interrupts
the drive of the motor
29 (Step S
8). Upon receipt of the re-operation
signal, the controller
37 allows the stopper mechanism
23 to be lifted
(Step S
9). More particularly, the controller
37 operates to permit
the output shaft of the motor
29 to rotate in the clockwise direction as
viewed on the -X side of the motor
29 such that the stopper mechanism
23
is elevated via the pinion gear
26 and the rack
25. During upward
movement of the stopper mechanism
23, the clamp arm
21 and the clamp
portion
19 also move upward.
Upon returning to the initial position of the stopper mechanism
23, the
sensor
27 detects the presence of the magnet
21c again and
outputs the detection signal to the controller
37 (Step S
10). Upon
receipt of the detection signal, the controller
37 operates to compel the
stopper mechanism
23 to move downward (Step S
11). In particular,
the controller
37 operates to permit the output shaft of the motor
29
to rotate in the counterclockwise direction as viewed on the -X side of the motor
29 such that the stopper mechanism
23 is lowered at a higher speed
than that at which preceding operation is executed. Then, operation is routed back
to step S
5, and a similar cycle is repeatedly executed until the optical
fiber
13 is correctly fixed in place with no gap between the clamp portion
19 and the V-grooved block
15.
An optical fiber fixing device
11 constructed according to the first exemplary
embodiment has many advantageous features. For example, the optical fiber fixing
device
11 employs, as the fixing mechanism, the direct acting mechanism
22, the stopper mechanism
23, the pinion gear
26 and the motor
29. Therefore, reductions in manufacturing cost and maintenance cost are
realized by this simplified fixing mechanism.
Further, due to an ability of the clamp arm
21 guided by the direct
acting mechanism
22 and the stopper mechanism
23 to move downward
along the Z-axis, the clamp portion
19 also moves downward along the Z-axis.
Accordingly, since the clamp portion
19 easily moves in a desired direction,
no unevenness results in a force required for pressing the optical fiber
13
against the V-grooved block
15.
Still further, the controller
37 is operative to control the rotating
speed of the motor
29 and to increase the lowering speed of the stopper
mechanism
23 for each re-operation. Consequently, in a case where the optical
fiber
13 is thick (i.e., with a large number of core wires), the clamp portion
19 can be lowered at a higher speed than that at which the clamp portion
19 is lowered in a case where the optical fiber
13 is thin (i.e.,
with a small number of core wires).
Additionally, since the operator section
33 automatically confirms
the fixed status of the optical fiber
13 using the TV camera
31,
it takes no time for confirmation of the fixed status.
Even further, due to an ability of the controller
37 to control the rotational
direction of the output shaft of the motor
29, the clamp portion
19
is vertically shifted, resulting in a capability of automatically correcting the
fixed status of the optical fiber
13 any number of times.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modified form of the method of controlling the
optical fiber fixing device
11. In this modified form, the control method
additionally includes a step, to be executed by the operator section
33
between steps S
10 and S
11, of determining whether the optical fiber
needs to be correctly placed in the V-groove
15a again or not, based
on a placement status of the optical fiber.
Upon receipt of the detection signal, the controller
37 interrupts the
drive of the motor
29 and concurrently outputs a placement confirming signal
to the operator section
33 (step S
12). Upon receipt of the placement
confirming signal, the operator section
33 confirms the placement status
of the optical fiber
13 and determines whether the optical fiber
13
needs to be correctly placed in the V-groove
15a again or not (step
S
13). In particular, the operator section
33 receives the placement
status of the optical fiber
13 as image data from the TV camera
31.
Then, the operator section
33 carries out image processing of the received
image data and determines whether the optical fiber
13 needs to be correctly
placed in the V-groove
15a again or not. If it is determined that
there is no need for correctly placing the optical fiber
13 in the V-groove
15a again, the operator section
33 outputs a continuous signal
to the controller
37 (step S
14). Subsequently, operation proceeds
to step S
11 in FIG. 5. If it is determined that there is a need for correctly
fixing the optical fiber
13 in the V-groove
15a again, the
operator section
33 causes the monitor
35 to display, for example,
"RE-PLACEMENT" (step S
15). Thereafter, operation is routed back to a stage
in front of step S
1 in FIG. 5. More particularly, upon confirmation by an
operator for displayed "RE-PLACEMENT" on monitor
35, the operator opens
the lid portion and correctly places the optical fiber
13 on the V-groove
15a again. Then, upon operation of the operator to close the upper
end opening of the main body portion using the lid portion, in response to interlocking
movement accompanied by such closing operation, the clamp arm
21 is guided
by the direct acting mechanism
22 and lowered.
According to this modified form, the optical fiber fixing device
11
has many advantageous features. For example, since the operator section
33
automatically confirms the placement status of the optical fiber
13 using
the TV camera
31, it takes no time for placement confirmation.
Here, the structure of the above embodiment is comprised of the stopper mechanism
23 and the motor
29. Free design can be achieved for the stopper
mechanism
23 in terms of a shape and material thereof depending on requirements
of the device. The stopper mechanism
23 can also be designed to provide
a structure that is hard to be mechanically damaged. For example, provision of
a resilient member placed on the bottom surface of the groove portion
24a
of the guide member
24 allows an impact occurring between the acting
portion
21a of the clamp arm
21 and the stopper mechanism
23 to be alleviated. Moreover, it is possible to additionally provide the
function of the clamp mechanism
17 to a component part other than the presently
filed embodiment.
Second Exemplary Embodiment
In the second exemplary embodiment, component parts similar to those of the first
exemplary embodiment bear the same reference numerals for description. An optical
fiber fixing device of the second exemplary embodiment is mounted on a fusion splicing
apparatus that allows two multi-core fibers to be fusion spliced. Before cut face
ends of the two multi-core fibers are mutually abutted and then fusion spliced,
the respective multi-core fibers are fixed on a V-grooved block by the optical
fiber fixing device.
As shown in FIG. 7, the optical fiber fixing device
41 is comprised of
a direct acting mechanism
22, a clamp mechanism
17, a sensor
27,
a motor
29, a TV camera
31, an operator section
33, a controller
37, a stopper mechanism
43 and a V-grooved block
45.
The V-grooved block
45 has a plurality of V-grooves
45a on
a top surface thereof. A multi-core fiber
47 is placed on the V-grooves
45a. The clamp mechanism
17 serves to hold the multi-core
fiber
47 on the V-grooved block
45 and is comprised of the clamp
portion
19 and the clamp arm
21. The clamp portion
19, the
clamp arm
21 and the direct acting mechanism
22 have the same structures
and arrangements as those of the first embodiment, respectively.
The stopper mechanism
43 includes a guide member
44 and the rack
25. The guide member
44 is located on a +X side of the V-grooved
block
45 along the Z-axis. Formed on an upper area of the guide member
44
along the Y-axis is a groove portion
44b into which the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is inserted. The rack
25 is
integrally formed on the guide member
44 along the Z-axis on the -Y side
of the guide member
44.
The motor
29 is located on the -Y side of the stopper mechanism
43.
The pinion gear
26 is fixedly secured to the output shaft of the motor
29.
The pinion gear
26 is located on the -Y side of the stopper mechanism
43
along the Z-axis. With such a structure, the pinion gear
26 is in mesh with
the rack
25. Accordingly, if the output shaft rotates in a clockwise direction
or a counterclockwise direction based on the driving of the motor
29, the
stopper mechanism
43 is moved upward or downward via the pinion gear
26.
Also, at the initial position of the stopper mechanism
43, the pinion gear
26 meshes with the rack
25 at the lowest end thereof (see FIG. 7).
Integrally formed on an upper area and a -X side of the guide member
44
is a fiber guide
44a that guides the multi-core fiber
47 to
the V-groove
45a. The fiber guide
44a is formed in
an L-shape and disposed on the +X side of the V-grooved block
45. The fiber
guide
44a is placed at a position not to interfere with the clamp
portion
19 and the multi-core fiber
47.
Upon sequential operation accompanied by action to close the upper opening of
the body section (not shown) using the lid portion (not shown) of the optical fiber
fixing device
41, the clamp arm
21 is guided by the direct acting
mechanism
22 to move downward. Downward movement of the clamp arm
21
causes the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 to be inserted
into the groove portion
44b of the guide member
44. Under
such a condition, the clamp portion
19 remains upward of the V-grooved block
45 (see FIG. 7). Thereafter, if the motor
29 is driven to downwardly
move the stopper mechanism
43, the clamp arm
21 progressively moves
downward while causing the clamp portion
19 to press the multi-core fiber
47 against the V-groove
45a (see FIG. 8). This allows the
multi-core fiber
47 to be fixed in place between the V-grooved block
45
and the clamp portion
19.
The sensor
27 includes the magnet sensor and, in an initial position of
the stopper mechanism
23, is disposed in a position in close proximity to
a bottom surface of the groove portion
44b of the guide member
44
on the -Y side of the guide member
44. The sensor
27 serves to determine
whether the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought
into contact with the bottom surface of the groove portion
44b of
the guide member
44 or not. Due to the presence of the magnet
21c
mounted to the lower end face of the acting portion
21b, if the
acting portion
21b is moved closer to the bottom surface of the groove
portion
44b of the guide member
44 at the initial position
of the stopper mechanism
43, the sensor
27 detects the presence of
the magnet
21c, thereby outputting a detection signal to the controller
37. Also, the sensor
27 may be disposed in any position provided
that such a position is effective to allow the sensor
27 to determine whether
the acting portion
21b of the clamp arm
21 is brought into
contact with the bottom surface of the groove portion
44b of the
guide member
44 or not. For instance, the sensor
27 may be disposed
in an area close proximity to the bottom surface of the groove portion
44b
of the guide member
44 on the +Y-side of the guide member
44.
The TV camera
31, the operator section
33 and the controller
37
are arranged to have the same placements and functions as those of the first exemplary
embodiment. Also, control of the optical fiber fixing device
41 is executed
in the methods represented in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The optical fiber fixing device
41 constructed according to the second
exemplary embodiment has many advantageous features. For example, the optical fiber
fixing device
41 employs, as the fixing mechanism, the direct acting mechanism
22, the stopper mechanism
43, the pinion gear
26 and the motor
29. Therefore, reductions in manufacturing cost and maintenance cost are
realized by this simplified fixing mechanism.
Further, the clamp arm
21 is guided by the direct acting mechanism
22 and the stopper mechanism
43 to be lowered along the Z-axis, thereby
permitting the clamp portion
19 to move downward along the Z-axis. Consequently,
since the clamp portion
19 is easily shifted in a desired direction, no
unevenness occurs in a force required for pressing the multi-core fiber
47
against the V-grooved block
45.
Still further, the controller
37 is operative to control the rotating
speed of the motor
29 such that the lowering speed of the stopper mechanism
43 is increased for each re-operation. Accordingly, in a case where each
optical fiber of the multi-core fiber
47 is thick (i.e., with a large number
of core wires), the clamp portion
19 can be lowered at a higher speed than
that at which the clamp portion
19 is lowered in a case where each optical
fiber of the multi-core fiber
47 is thin (i.e., with a small number of core
wires). Further, when the optical fiber has an increased number of core wires,
the clamp portion
19 can be lowered at a higher speed than that when the
optical fiber has a small number of core wires. In general, the larger the number
of core wires of the optical fiber, the stronger the repulsion force generated
by the multi-core fiber
47 to urge the clamp portion
19 upward will
be. For this reason, if the clamp portion
19 is lowered at a low speed,
due to sliding frictional force of the clamp
21, the clamp arm
21
stops before the clamp portion
19 presses the multi-core fiber
47.
Additionally, since the operator section
33 automatically confirms
the fixed status of the optical fiber using the TV camera
31, it takes no
time for placement confirmation work and confirmation work of the fixed status.
Even further, due to an ability of the clamp portion
19 moving upward
or downward along the Z-axis through control of the rotational direction of the
output shaft of the motor
29, it is possible to repeatedly and correctly
fix the multi-core fiber
47 any number of times in an automatic fashion.
Also, since the guide member
44 is formed with the fiber guide
44a,
the multi-core fiber
47 can be placed in the V-groove
45a in
a reliable and easy fashion.
Here, a structure of the second exemplary embodiment is comprised of the stopper
mechanism
43 and the motor
29. Free design can be achieved for the
stopper mechanism
43 in terms of a shape and material thereof depending
on requirement of the device. The stopper mechanism
43 can be designed to
provide a structure that is hard to mechanically damage. For example, provision
of a resilient member placed on the bottom surface of the groove portion
44b
of the guide member
44 allows an impact occurring between the acting
portion
21a of the clamp arm
21 and the stopper mechanism
43 to be alleviated. Moreover, it is possible to additionally provide the
function of the clamp mechanism
17 to a component part other than the presently
filed embodiment.
Also, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described
above, and various modifications may be made. For example, the first exemplary
embodiment (or the second exemplary embodiment) has been described in conjunction
with an example where the clamp portion
19 and the clamp arm
21 of
the clamp mechanism
17 are vertically moved as the fixing member that allows
the optical fiber
13 (or the multi-core optical fibers
47) to be
pressed against the V-grooved block
45. However, the present invention is
not limited to such a structure and, for example, may provide a structure to allow
the clamp portion and the clamp arm of the clamp mechanism to be horizontally moved.
That is, various alterations may be made such that the clamp mechanism is moved
in a direction to allow the optical fiber (or the multi-core optical fibers) to
be fixed. Moreover, similar alterations may be possibly made in the stopper mechanisms
23,
43.
In other words, while the invention has been shown and described with reference
to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled
in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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