METHOD FOR REINFORCING MULTIPLE OPTICAL FIBER COUPLER

• Main Authors: ARIMOTO KAZUHIKO, HATTORI TOMOYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.09.1993
• Subjects: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS

PURPOSE:To reinforce the multiple optical fiber coupler by thinly applying a silane coupling agent on the glass surfaces constituting optical fibers just prior to application of the adhesive onto the coated optical fibers and increasing adhesion force between the adhesive and the optical fibers. CONSTITUTION:The glass parts exposed after the coatings of the multiple type optical fibers are removed are fixed by optical fiber clamps 12 and are heated and welded by a microtorch 13. The optical fiber clamps 12 are removed after the heating and welding and while tension is held applied to the welded optical fibers, the welded point is heated and stretched. The silane coupling agent is applied by coating on the non-stretched part of the exposed glass parts and thereafter, the adhesive is fixed to a reinforcing base plate by applying and curing. A shielding plate 16 is moved to the home position in the upper part of the stretched part in order to prevent the sticking of the silane coupling agent to the optical coupling part at this time and thereafter, the reinforcing plate 16 is disposed to the prescribed position and the adhesive is applied and cured.