Hollow optical fiber unit for optical fiber sensor with hexagonal head and threaded shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9563022-B2
Application number	US-201414479388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An optical fiber unit enables secure grasping of an optical fiber sensor via a jig while avoiding damage to an optical fiber cable. The optical fiber unit for the optical fiber sensor includes an optical fiber cable, a shaft, and a head. The shaft includes a peripheral surface having a male thread, and a through-hole for an inserted optical fiber cable. The head is shaped in a hexagonal prism including six sides and a bottom. The shaft is connected to the bottom of the head. The optical fiber cable extends the head, and extends out of the head in a direction substantially parallel to two parallel sides of the six sides from at least one of the six sides excluding the two parallel sides.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor, the optical fiber unit comprising:
a head shaped as a hexagonal prism including six sides and a bottom;
an optical fiber cable extending inside the head, and extending out of the head in a direction substantially parallel to two parallel sides of the six sides from at least one of the six sides excluding the two parallel sides; and
a shaft connected to the bottom of the head, the shaft including a peripheral surface having a male thread, and a through-hole in which the optical fiber cable is inserted.

2. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the head includes a space through which the optical fiber cable is placed, and the space communicates with the through-hole, and
the space forms an opening in the at least one of the sides excluding the two parallel sides, the opening having a width substantially equal to a diameter of the optical fiber cable, to thereby maintain the optical fiber cable in the direction extending substantially parallel to the two parallel sides of the six sides.

3. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical fiber cable extends out of the head from a first side that is one of the six sides excluding the two parallel sides and a second side that is adjacent to the first side and is another one of the six sides excluding the two parallel sides by extending through a corner between the first side and the second side.

4. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening is exposed across at least two sides including the first side and the second side.

5. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the bottom of the head includes a tapered portion that communicates with the through-hole of the shaft.

6. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , the optical fiber unit further comprising:
a cover attached to the head to cover the space in a direction of a central axis of the through-hole.

7. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the shaft includes a lens that is in contact with a tip of the optical fiber cable.

8. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , the optical fiber unit further comprising:
a nut that is screwed with the male thread of the shaft.

9. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical fiber cable comprises a single cable.

10. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical fiber cable comprises a first cable and a second cable.

11. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the six sides excluding the two parallel sides from which the optical fiber cable extends out from the head corresponds to a side of the head that is contiguous with one of the two parallel sides and that is not contiguous with the other of the two parallel sides.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Takakura Takeshi
• Ryugo Tetsuo
• Asaumi Kazuhisa

Classifications

• G02B6/3624 Primary

  Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262) · CPC title

• G02B6/3616 Primary

  Holders, macro size fixtures for mechanically holding or positioning fibres, e.g. on an optical bench (supporting carriers of a microbench type G02B6/3648; micromanipulators B25J7/00; cassettes, bobbins G02B6/4439) · CPC title

• F16B35/06

  Specially-shaped heads (special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 {; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025}) · CPC title

• F16B35/041

  Specially-shaped shafts (shape of thread F16B33/02) · CPC title

• G02B6/4429

  Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables · CPC title