Base member used for fusion splicer for joining optical fibers and fusion splicer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939584-B2
Application number	US-201715429580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

On a top face (24a) of a base member (3), V-shaped grooves (15a) and (23a) are provided. On a reverse face (24b) of a base member (3), V-shaped grooves (15b) and (23b) are provided. The V-shaped grooves (15a) and (15b), which are first V-shaped grooves and are for holding optical fibers, and the V-shaped grooves (23a) and (23b), which are second V-shaped grooves and are for holding electrode rods (7), are formed facing each other, respectively. The positions of optical fibers and the electrode rods (7) are determined by the V-shaped grooves (15a) and (15b) and the V-shaped grooves (23a) and (23b), respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A base member to be used in a fusion splicer that joins optical fibers together, comprising:
a first V-shaped groove to hold optical fibers, and
a second V-shaped groove that holds electrode rods, the second V-shaped groove being formed in a longitudinal direction of the base member, which is a direction that intersects with the first V-shaped groove approximately at right angles, wherein
the first V-shaped groove is formed on each face of the base member; and
the second V-shaped grooves are formed on both faces of the base member.

2. The base member according to claim 1 , wherein
the first V-shaped groove formed on one face of the base member is in a different form from the first V-shaped groove formed on another face of the base member.

3. The base member according to claim 2 , wherein
the first V-shaped groove on one face of the base ember is for single-core optical fibers; and
the first V-shaped groove on another face of the base member is for multi-core optical fibers.

4. The base member according to claim 2 , wherein
the first V-shaped grooves on both faces of the base member are both for multi-core optical fibers; and
a pitch of the first V-shaped groove on one face of the base member is different from a pitch of the first V-shaped groove on another face of the base member.

5. The base member according to, claim 2 , wherein
a depth of the first V-shaped groove on one face of the base member is different from a depth of the first V-shaped groove on another face of the base member.

6. The base member according to claim 1 , wherein
a length of at least one face of the base member in the longitudinal direction of the base member is different from a length of another face of the base member; and an edge position of the second V-shaped groove formed on one face of the base member is at a different place from an edge position of the second V-shaped groove formed on another face of the base member.

7. The base member according to claim 1 , wherein
in a width direction of the base member that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the base member at right angles, the position of the second V-shaped groove formed on one face of the base member is at a different place from the position of the second V-shaped groove formed on another face of the base member.

8. A fusion splicer that joins optical fibers together, comprising:
the base member comprising a first V-shaped groove to hold optical fibers; and
a base-holding member that holds the base member, wherein
the first V-shaped groove is formed on each face of the base member;
the base member can be attached to and detached from the base-holding member;
a horizontal positioning reference part, which determines the position of the base member on the base-holding member in a direction parallel to an optical fiber installation surface of the base member, is provided on the base-holding member;
a vertical positioning reference part, which determines the position of the base member on the base-holding member in a direction vertical to the optical fiber installation surface of the base member, is provided on the base-holding member; and
the base member contacts with the vertical positioning reference part at parts other than the first V-shaped grooves.

Assignees

• Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
• Seiwa Giken Inc

Inventors

• Kazama Junichi
• Akiyama Tomohiro
• Tanaka Takashi

Classifications

• G02B6/2553

  Splicing machines, e.g. optical fibre fusion splicer · CPC title

• G02B6/2555 Primary

  Alignment or adjustment devices for aligning prior to splicing · CPC title