Abstract: A molding die 1 is constituted by an upper die 1a and a lower die 1b which are made of a material transparent to an ultraviolet light, and has a cavity 3 constituted by grooves 2c, 2d, whereas a resin injection gate 4 and a resin exit gate 7 are provided so as to communicate with the cavity 3. A junction of an optical fiber 10 is inserted into the cavity 3. A UV-curable resin is injected into the cavity 3 surrounding an exposing portion of the glass optical fiber 11 from the resin injection gate 4 positioned at one of coating ends of the optical fiber 10, whereas a part thereof is discharged from the resin exit gate 7 positioned at the other coating end. The ultraviolet light is emitted through the lower die 1b so as to cure the resin, thereby forming a reinforcement resin coating. As a consequence, bubbles can be prevented from occurring due to the residual air within the reinforcement resin coating in the junction of the optical fiber 10.

Abstract: An exposed part of at least one of two optical fibers with different mode field distributions to be fusion spliced is heated by a burner, to thereby continuously vary its mode field distribution in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, and the exposed end part of at least one of the optical fibers is cleaved so that the mode field distributions at the splice end faces of the two optical fibers to be fusion spliced are substantially coincident with each other in configuration, the two optical fibers are fusion spliced, whereby low splice loss is realized. Thereafter, the heated portion of the optical fiber is subjected to a surface treatment by etching process using a hydrofluoric acid solution, whereby a deterioration of its mechanical strength is prevented. Surface tension of the acid causes the rim of the container to stand up.

Abstract: A molding die 1 is constituted by an upper die 1a and a lower die 1b which are made of a material transparent to an ultraviolet light, and has a cavity 3 constituted by grooves 2c, 2d, whereas a resin injection gate 4 and a resin exit gate 7 are provided so as to communicate with the cavity 3. A junction of an optical fiber 10 is inserted into the cavity 3. A UV-curable resin is injected into the cavity 3 surrounding an exposing portion of the glass optical fiber 11 from the resin injection gate 4 positioned at one of coating ends of the optical fiber 10, whereas a part thereof is discharged from the resin exit gate 7 positioned at the other coating end. The ultraviolet light is emitted through the lower die 1b so as to cure the resin, thereby forming a reinforcement resin coating. As a consequence, bubbles can be prevented from occurring due to the residual air within the reinforcement resin coating in the junction of the optical fiber 10.

Abstract: An optical connecting article according to the present invention is comprised of a main body in which a plurality of optical fibers are distributed in an encapsulated state and in a planar shape; and a plurality of flexible branches arranged as integral with the main body and formed on the same plane as the main body, while encapsulating end portions of the respective fibers.

Abstract: Each of imaging optical systems has a post-lens system having a front focus at a position of a rear focus of a pre-lens system. Each of the optical axes is set in a direction normal to the optical axes of optical fibers and different from the normal direction to a placement surface of the optical fibers. Each of image pickup planes of CCDs is inclined relative to the optical axis of the imaging optical system so that the longer an object distance of each optical fiber among the optical fibers, the shorter an image distance thereof, and each image pickup plane is located in parallel to the optical axes of the optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical fiber ribbon Fusion-splicing apparatus for fusion-splicing end faces of optical fibers to each other includes an optical fiber jacket stripper including a portable main body, a power supply input terminal exposed/formed on one surface of the main body, a clamping and heating element for clamping a distal end portion of a coating of an optical fiber and heating/softening the distal end portion by using a heat accumulator which is electrically heated and has a large heat capacity, a pair of cutting blades for cutting a fiber jacket closer to a proximal end portion side of the optical fiber than the distal end portion, and a jacket stripping mechanism which is placed to oppose the clamping and heating element through the cutting blades and slides in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber with respect to the clamping and heating element while holding the proximal end portion of the optical fiber, thereby stripping off the fiber jacket of the distal end portion, and a power supply terminal electr

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a ribbon-coated multicore optical fiber at a plurality of positions at once, wherein the ribbon-coated multicore optical fiber includes a number of single-core fibers arranged in parallel. This apparatus comprises a first cutting member in which a plurality of sets of arc faces opposed to each other by way of a through path for inserting the ribbon-coated multicore optical fiber are disposed along the through path, while the arc faces in the respective sets extend from one side section of the through path halfway through the width direction of the through path; a second cutting member having a plurality of arc faces which continuously extend to and are adapted to join with the respective arc faces of the first cutting member in the width direction of the through path; and guide members which are respectively disposed at both end positions of the through path so as to position the ribbon-coated multicore optical fiber inserted into the through path.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical connector connecting apparatus. In the apparatus, a plurality of fixed optical connectors are mounted on a fixed member in a lined-up manner. An optical connector containing member having a movable optical connector mounted thereon is supported on a support member through a small-diameter beam. A moving plate mounted on a base supports the support member, and the movable optical connector is moved in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions so as to be connected to the fixed optical connector. Therefore, a position deviation at the time of the connection is corrected by the flexing of the small-diameter beam so that fine-positioning is unnecessary.

Abstract: A mid-span branching method for an optical path including a multi-fiber optical cable which is constituted by a multi-fiber ribbon with a plurality of optical fibers arranged in a plane and integrated with a common coating, includes the first step of exposing an intermediate portion of the multi-fiber ribbon from the multi-fiber optical cable (step 101), the second step of extracting the exposed multi-fiber ribbon (step 102), the step of separating at least one single-core optical fiber from the extracted multi-fiber ribbon (step 103), and the step of connecting the single-core optical fiber separated from the multi-fiber optical cable to a single-core optical fiber branched from a branch cable (steps 104, 105).

Abstract: The present invention provides a separating tool for separating a multi-core ribbon fiber obtained by arranging a plurality of optical fibers in a plane and integrating the fibers with a common coating into single-core optical fibers, and includes a fiber accommodating means for accommodating the multi-core ribbon fiber in an accommodating area, a fiber holding means for holding the multi-core ribbon fiber in the accommodating area, a scratching means for forming a scratch on a surface of a common coating of the multi-core ribbon fiber held by the fiber holding means, an arrangement defining means for changing an pitch position of the scratching means, and a shearing force applying means for applying a shearing force to the multi-core ribbon fiber along the scratch formed by the scratching means.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical connector connecting apparatus. In the apparatus, a plurality of fixed optical connectors are mounted on a fixed member in a lined-up manner. An optical connector containing member having a movable optical connector mounted thereon is supported on a support member through a small-diameter beam. A moving plate mounted on a base supports the support member, and the movable optical connector is moved in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions so as to be connected to the fixed optical connector. Therefore, a position deviation at the time of the connection is corrected by the flexing of the small-diameter beam so that fine-positioning is unnecessary.

Abstract: Connection of hermetic optical fibers having a hermetic layer coated on optical fiber glass prepared by positioning the optical fibers on respective electrically nonconductive V-shaped grooves, aligning cores of the optical fibers and fusing and connecting the optical fibers through an aerial discharge gives a small break strength decrease after connection without removing the hermetic layer.

Abstract: An method and apparatus for arranging a plurality of coated optical fibers in a plane and a simultaneous collective fusion splicing method using the apparatus, comprising the steps of: arranging first and second sets of the coated optical fibers in a plane; clamping, in each of the sets, end portions of the coated optical fibers by a clamping device; collectively removing, in both the first and second sets, coatings from the end portions of the coated optical fibers so as to obtain exposed fiber end portions; collectively cutting, simultaneously, in each of the sets, the exposed fiber end portions so as to obtain cut end faces; collectively fusion splicing simultaneously, the two sets of the cut end faces so as to produce joints of the first and second sets of fibers, and collectively reinforcing the joints.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical fiber connecting jig that is particularly useful in connecting single core optical fibers to other single core fibers and to multiple core fibers. A base and top cover are hinged to permit the top cover to open and close. The base is grooved to hold optical fibers and glass means.

Abstract: A method for splicing coated optical fibers. The outer coating layer of two coated optical fiber ends to be joined is removed from respective end portions thereof. The inner optical fibers so exposed are then coated with a layer of UV-curable resin. After the resin layer has been hardened by irradiating it with ultraviolet radiation, the coated portion may be securely clamped without fear of damaging the optical fibers. The clamped end portions may then be moved toward one another in order that they may be fused together.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for coupling ends of first and second multicore coated optical fibers each having multiple optical fibers integrally covered with a coating. The method includes a clamping step of setting the first and second multicore coated optical fibers in first and second clamp members, respectively, a cutting step of cutting off exposed fiber ends of the first and second multicore coated optical fibers and a coupling step of coupling cut end faces of the optical fibers of the first and second multicore coated optical fibers such that the cutting step and the coupling step are performed without detaching the first and second multicore coated optical fibers from the first and second clamp members, respectively.