US 12,392,964 B2
Optical fiber fusion splicer and optical fiber fusion splicing method
Hiroshi Sugawara, Sakura (JP); and Koichi Yokota, Sakura (JP)
Assigned to Fujikura Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/021,426
Filed by Fujikura Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 31, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/031960
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 15, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/045364, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-145838 (JP), filed on Aug. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0305231 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 6/255 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/2553 (2013.01) [G02B 6/2551 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical fiber fusion splicer comprising:
a replaceable groove-formed unit having:
first positioning grooves, separated from each other by an equal distance, on which first optical fibers are disposed; and
second positioning grooves, separated from each other by an equal distance, on which second optical fibers are disposed, wherein
the first optical fibers constitute a first mass fiber and have first glass parts, and
the second optical fibers constitute a second mass fiber and have second glass parts;
a lighting part that illuminates, with light, the first optical fibers and the second optical fibers;
a lens that condenses the light passing through the first glass parts and the second glass parts;
a camera that captures an image formed by the lens;
a pair of discharge electrodes that heat and melt, by electric discharge, the first glass parts and the second glass parts;
a high-voltage-generating circuit that generates an electric discharge between the pair of the discharge electrodes;
a movable stage that:
moves the first optical fibers in a longitudinal direction of the first mass fiber, and
moves the second optical fibers in a longitudinal direction of the second mass fiber;
an image processor that, based on the image captured by the camera, acquires one or both of:
a fiber pitch of the first optical fibers based on:
a distance between two of the first optical fibers disposed at both ends of the first mass fiber in a front-back direction in which the first optical fibers are disposed, and
a number of the first optical fibers, and
a fiber pitch of the second optical fibers based on:
a distance between two of the second optical fibers disposed at both ends of the second mass fiber in the front-back direction in which the second optical fibers are disposed, and
a number of the second optical fibers; and
a splicing condition processor that sets a splicing condition corresponding to the one or both of the acquired fiber pitches by selection or calculation thereof.