Patents Assigned to SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 11513291
    Abstract: An optical fiber cleaving apparatus includes: a main body on which an optical fiber having a predetermined length of a glass fiber portion exposed at a tip is placed; a cover member which fixes the optical fiber between the cover member and the main body; a blade member which scratches the glass fiber portion of the fixed optical fiber; and a breaking member which breaks the glass fiber portion at the scratched portion. The optical fiber cleaving apparatus further includes a retreat member which moves a broken end portion of the optical fiber to a position that does not contact with the blade member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Kurino
  • Publication number: 20220365279
    Abstract: A coating removal tool removes a resin coating positioned at a distal end portion of a coated optical fiber. The coating removal tool includes a first holding part holding the resin coating positioned at the distal end portion, a second holding part configured to hold a base end portion of the coated optical fiber adjacent to the distal end portion, and a pedestal part configured to support the first holding part and the second holding part. The first holding part includes a heater for heating the resin coating positioned at the distal end portion and a blade for making a notch in the resin coating, and is provided to be slidable relative to the pedestal part. The second holding part is fixed relative to the pedestal part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu TODA, Hiroshi NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 11500162
    Abstract: A cap for an optical connector adaptor, including: a base portion including a first surface and a second surface provided on an opposite side of the first surface; a grip portion formed by protruding from the first surface of the base portion; a fitting portion configured to protrude from the second surface of the base portion and to be fitted to an optical connector adapter; and a cover portion that is formed over the whole outer periphery of the base portion, in which the second surface includes a contact surface where the optical connector adapter and the cap for an optical connector adaptor contact each other, and in which the cover portion is configured to surround the contact surface from the outer periphery of the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Inaba, Yoshikyo Tamekuni, Daizo Nishioka, Motoyoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20220350103
    Abstract: A package for an optical fiber includes: a base portion; a plurality of protruding portions that protrude from a flat surface of the base portion, are arranged along an outer periphery of the base portion, and are configured so that an optical fiber including a connector mounted to at least one end thereof is wound along a part of an outer periphery of each of the protruding portions; a mounting portion to which the connector of the optical fiber is to be mounted; and a plurality of fall-off preventing portions that are formed integrally with the base portion and capable of restricting a position of the optical fiber to be wound over the plurality of protruding portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji FUKUI, Yoshikyo TAMEKUNI, Takahiro INABA, Yoshihiro TAKEYAMA, Daizo NISHIOKA, Hisahiko NARUKAWA, Yuji MATSUMOTO, Shinsuke SATO, Tuan Nghia DUONG
  • Publication number: 20220326442
    Abstract: A fusion splicing system includes a fusion splicer configured to perform fusion splicing of optical fibers, and a server configured to receive fusion splicing data pertaining to the fusion splicing from an information terminal capable of communicating with the fusion splicer, or the fusion splicer via a communication network. The fusion splicing data includes first identification information for identifying a project to which the fusion splicing belongs. The server retains second identification information related to a registered project registered in advance, compares the first identification information with the second identification information, and interrelates the fusion splicing data with the registered project indicated by the second identification information when the first identification information coincides with the second identification information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaharu OHNISHI, Kazuyoshi OOKI, Hideaki YUSA, Takahiro SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20220317376
    Abstract: A device for fusion splicing, by an arc discharge, a pair or a plurality of pairs of optical fibers arranged so that end surfaces thereof face each other. An optical fiber arrangement portion positions the pair or the plurality of pairs of optical fibers between a pair of electrodes. A control portion controls a voltage applied to the pair of electrodes. The control portion generates a first discharge between the pair of electrodes, stops the first discharge between the pair of electrodes, and then generates an arc discharge between the pair of electrodes to fusion-splice the pair or the plurality of pairs of optical fibers to each other. A discharge time of the first discharge is 200 milliseconds or less. A time from stopping the first discharge to starting the arc discharge is 100 milliseconds or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki AKIYAMA, Hideaki YUSA, Ryosuke MEO, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20220320838
    Abstract: A cable stripping tool according to one embodiment is a cable stripping tool that strips a sheath of a cable. The cable stripping tool includes a blade protruding from an inner surface of a hole into which the cable is to be inserted. The sheath of the cable inserted into the hole is cut by the blade when the cable is pulled out from the hole along an extending direction of the cable. A cross-sectional shape of the hole is a non-circular shape in a plane orthogonal to the extending direction. The hole includes a space portion that a deformed portion of the cable inserted into the hole enters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro TAKEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220276440
    Abstract: A fusion splicing device includes a fusion splicing unit, a fusion splicing control unit, an imaging unit, and a notification unit. The fusion splicing unit fusion-splices optical fibers by discharge between a pair of electrode rods. The fusion splicing control unit controls an operation of the fusion splicing unit and has an operation mode for performing a discharge test. The imaging unit generates image data of a fusion spliced portion of the optical fibers. The notification unit notifies various kinds of information. The discharge test is to fusion-splice the optical fibers, to check a fusion-spliced state of the optical fibers on the basis of the image data, and to adjust a fusion splicing condition to be close to an optimum condition. When a predetermined start condition is satisfied, the fusion splicing control unit causes the notification unit to notify information for requesting execution of the discharge test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi OOKI, Makoto MIYAMORI, Hideaki YUSA
  • Patent number: 11409053
    Abstract: An optical connector including a housing body having a ferrule, an outer housing, a latch, and a tab is disclosed. The latch extends from a proximal end toward a front end of the optical connector and includes an engaging part at a distal end. The tab is placed on an outer side of the latch, movable with respect to the outer housing, and pushes down the engaging part toward the housing body according to movement of the tab. The distal end of the latch floats to space apart from the housing body. A first protrusion is disposed on an inner side of the tab. The optical connector is configured to contact an inner side of the latch with the first protrusion to push down the engaging part toward the housing body with the first protrusion as a fulcrum when the engaging part is engaged with the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Inaba, Yoshikyo Tamekuni, Daizo Nishioka, Yoshihiro Takeyama, Mitsumasa Seita
  • Patent number: 11409042
    Abstract: A reinforcement device for an optical fiber fusion-spliced portion, which reinforces a fusion-spliced portion of optical fibers by heating and shrinking a reinforcement sleeve covering the fusion spliced portion, includes a heater configured to heat the reinforcement sleeve. The heater includes a sleeve housing portion capable of housing the reinforcement sleeve. The sleeve housing portion includes a first wall portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the sleeve housing portion and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion. The first wall portion and the second wall portion are configured such that a distance therebetween increases from a bottom portion side of the sleeve housing portion toward a top portion side of the sleeve housing portion in a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. At least one bent portion is formed to at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion in the cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Meo, Hiroshi Takayanagi
  • Publication number: 20220236141
    Abstract: An inspecting device has an optical switch selectively coupling a light source unit with each of light input/output ports; a first light detecting unit detecting a first intensity of test light input from an inspecting device on a counterpart side and passing through the optical switch; a second light detecting unit detecting a second intensity of the test light directed from the light source unit toward the optical switch; a third light detecting unit optically coupled to another end of a test optical fiber having one end connected to each of the plurality of light input/output ports, and detecting a third intensity of the test light received from the light source unit via the test optical fiber; and an internal loss recording unit recording a loss of an optical path inside the device obtained on a basis of a difference between the third intensity and the second intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Gouichi FUKUMOTO, Yoshifumi HISHIKAWA, Tetsufumi TSUZAKI, Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Kenichiro OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20220155523
    Abstract: A reinforcement sleeve heating device is a reinforcement sleeve heating device heating a reinforcement sleeve put on a connecting site to shrink the reinforcement sleeve in order to reinforce the connecting site of optical fibers fusion-spliced to each other. The reinforcement sleeve heating device includes: a heating element forming a housing space, the housing space extending in a predetermined direction, the housing space being opened in one direction intersecting with the predetermined direction, the housing space being capable of disposing the reinforcement sleeve, and a cover disposed at a position at which at least a part of the opening of the housing space. In a state in which the reinforcement sleeve is disposed in the housing space, the cover includes a contact surface brought into contact with the reinforcement sleeve in a direction of pushing the reinforcement sleeve into an inside of the housing space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei IDO, Kazufumi JOKO, Ryosuke MEO, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Patent number: 11327230
    Abstract: An optical fiber holder for holding an optical fiber includes: a holder main body; and a groove part that is capable of holding a part of the held optical fiber. The optical fiber holder has an adjustment mechanism that is capable of adjusting a position of the groove part with respect to the holder main body in a state where the groove part is placed on the holder main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keitarou Koguchi, Shinsuke Kurino, Ryuichiro Sato, Masataka Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20220099894
    Abstract: A fusion splicer includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an optical fiber disposition unit, and a first conductive member. The first electrode has a first potential, the second electrode has a second potential lower than the first potential, and an arc discharge is generated therebetween. The optical fiber disposition unit has grooves in which first optical fibers and second optical fibers are accommodated. The first conductive member is provided apart from the grooves between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first conductive member has a third potential that is lower than the first potential and higher than the second potential, and is disposed at a position at which the shortest distance from one of the first electrode and the second electrode is shorter than the shortest distance from the other of the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke MEO, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI, Shohei NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20220099895
    Abstract: A fusion splicer includes an irradiation unit to irradiate an optical fiber with first wavelength light and second wavelength light; a light receiving unit; a processing unit to extract first feature data from first luminance information based on the first wavelength light and to extract second feature data from second luminance information based on the second wavelength light; a determination unit to determine whether the first feature data and the second feature data are within a predetermined range; and a drive unit to move one optical fiber on the basis of the luminance information from which the feature data is extracted so as to arrange the axes of the optical fibers in a predetermined positional relationship when the feature data is determined to be within the predetermined range. The processing unit extracts the second feature data when the first feature data is not within the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei NAKAMURA, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI, Yuta RYONO, Hideaki YUSA
  • Publication number: 20220078534
    Abstract: A system for releasing locking of a fusion splicer includes a fusion splicer, an information terminal, and a server. The fusion splicer locks a fusion-splicing function in accordance with a predetermined lock condition and releases the locked function in accordance with a release command input. The server includes a storage unit that stores authentication information provided by a user of the fusion splicer, a collation unit that collates authentication information provided from the information terminal with the authentication information stored in the storage unit, and a password issuance unit that issues a one-time password including at least a date in an algorithm when a collation result is favorable. The information terminal authenticates the one-time password in consideration of a day difference or a time difference between the information terminal and the server and applies the release command to the fusion splicer when an authentication result is favorable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro SUZUKI, Kazuyoshi OOKI, Hideaki YUSA, Takaharu OHNISHI
  • Publication number: 20220043213
    Abstract: An optical fiber cleaving apparatus includes: a main body on which an optical fiber having a predetermined length of a glass fiber portion exposed at a tip is placed; a cover member which fixes the optical fiber between the cover member and the main body; a blade member which scratches the glass fiber portion of the fixed optical fiber; and a breaking member which breaks the glass fiber portion at the scratched portion. The optical fiber cleaving apparatus further includes a retreat member which moves a broken end portion of the optical fiber to a position that does not contact with the blade member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinsuke KURINO
  • Publication number: 20220035098
    Abstract: A reinforcement device for an optical fiber fusion-spliced portion, which reinforces a fusion-spliced portion of optical fibers by heating and shrinking a reinforcement sleeve covering the fusion spliced portion, includes a heater configured to heat the reinforcement sleeve. The heater includes a sleeve housing portion capable of housing the reinforcement sleeve. The sleeve housing portion includes a first wall portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the sleeve housing portion and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion. The first wall portion and the second wall portion are configured such that a distance therebetween increases from a bottom portion side of the sleeve housing portion toward a top portion side of the sleeve housing portion in a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. At least one bent portion is formed to at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion in the cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke MEO, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Patent number: 11237330
    Abstract: This optical fiber alignment jig for aligning a plurality of optical fibers with the tip end coating stripped off to expose glass fiber includes a rail; a convex push-up part capable of moving in the extending direction of the rail; and a plurality of plate-shaped parts that each have a first surface and a second surface perpendicular to the extending direction of the rail and an inclined surface that can carry a respective optical fiber, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-shaped parts being inclined, relative to the extending direction of the rail, in the same direction. The plurality of plate-shaped parts are arranged side by side along the extending direction of the rail with the first surface of one plate-shaped part facing the second surface of an adjacent plate-shaped part and are contacted by the push-up part so as to move toward the inclined surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryuichiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20220026638
    Abstract: An optical fiber fusion splicing method for performing fusion splicing through positioning of optical fibers to be spliced in a V-groove is provided. The optical fiber fusion splicing method includes pressing the optical fibers placed in the V-groove relatively toward the V-groove using a clamp, varying a clamp pressure of the clamp pressing the optical fibers, and moving the optical fibers placed in the V-groove with respect to the V-groove in an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki AKIYAMA, Makoto MIYAMORI, Kazuyoshi OOKI, Ryosuke MEO, Ryuichiro SATO, Hiroshi TAKAYANAGI