Production of end-rounded taper fiber

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To prevent lowering of connection efficiency through eliminating a bend of the taper part, by heating a part of the optical fiber held vertically to make it into a half-melted state and by fusing off this optical fiber after stretching out it to form a tape part and by forming an end-rounded part at the tip. CONSTITUTION:Electrodes 1 and 2 are provided oppositely to each other horizontally, and arc 3 is generated in the horizontal direction between tip parts opposite to each other. One end of optical fiber 4 is supported by support jig 5, and a proper tensile force is applied to the other end 6 downward, and the optical fiber is held vertically. Optical fiber 4 is heated at a high temperature by arc 3 and becomes a half-melted state and is softened and is stretched out by the tensile force applied to end 6 to form a taper part. When this process advances, fiber 4 is fused off. At this time, the tip of the taper part becomes hemispherical due to surface tension to form an end-rounded taper fiber. Thus, since optical fiber 4 is held vertically, probability of bending of the tip is reduced, so that lowering of connection efficiency is prevented.

Inventors

• 👤 Hideo Kuwabara

Bibliographic Details