Patent Application
20240319444
The present disclosure relates to a pitch converting apparatus, i.e., a pitch conversion device. The present application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2021-116451 filed on Jul. 14, 2021, and incorporates all the contents described in the Japanese Application.
Patent Literature 1 discloses an optical fiber holding member capable of simultaneously holding a plurality of optical fibers. In the optical fiber holding member according to Patent Literature 1, a pitch of a V groove gradually increases, and a width of the V groove changes planarly over an axial direction of the optical fiber.
A pitch conversion device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes:
As in the optical fiber holding member according to Patent Literature 1, when the width of the V groove changes planarly over the axial direction of the optical fiber, the pitch conversion device needs to have a certain length in the axial direction of the optical fiber and is less likely to be reduced in size.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a compact pitch conversion device.
According to the present disclosure, a compact pitch conversion device can be provided.
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.
(1) A pitch conversion device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes:
According to the configuration, the pitch conversion device can change the position at which the optical fibers are held to the first holding portion or the second holding portion depending on the rotation angle of the turning portion which rotates in a state of being attached to the main body portion. As a result, the pitch of the optical fibers is converted into the first pitch or the second pitch. Therefore, in the pitch conversion device of the above configuration, the pitch of the optical fibers can be changed to the first pitch or the second pitch without slide-moving the optical fibers in an axial direction of the optical fibers. Thus, in the pitch conversion device of the above configuration, there is no need to secure a certain length in the axial direction of the optical fibers, so that the pitch conversion device can be made compact.
(2) Further, the pitch conversion device according to the aspect of the present disclosure further includes:
According to the configuration, for example, when the turning portion is turned, the optical fibers can be prevented from moving away from the turning portion. Therefore, according to such a pitch conversion device, a reduction in the pitch conversion workability can be prevented.
(3) Further, in the pitch conversion device according to the aspect of the present disclosure,
According to the configuration, since the outer circumferential surface of the roller member, which is the contact portion, is in contact with the optical fibers, the pitch of the optical fibers can be converted without applying an excessive load to the optical fibers.
(4) Further, in the pitch conversion device according to the aspect of the present disclosure,
According to the configuration, the optical fibers to be subjected to pitch conversion can be easily arranged in the first arrangement portion and the optical fibers after pitch conversion can be easily arranged in the second arrangement portion. Therefore, according to such a pitch conversion device, the pitch conversion workability can be improved.
(5) Further, in the pitch conversion device according to the aspect of the present disclosure,
According to the configuration, the optical fibers can be respectively placed in the plurality of grooves of each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion of the turning portion, the pitch of the optical fibers can be easily converted simply by turning the turning portion.
(6) Further, in the pitch conversion device according to the aspect of the present disclosure,
According to the configuration, the pitch of the optical fibers can be converted without applying an excessive load to the optical fibers.
A specific example of a pitch conversion device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these exemplifications, but is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within a scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of claims.
In the following description, a “front direction”, a “rear direction”, a “left direction”, a “right direction”, an “upper direction”, and a “lower direction” may be used, but these directions are relative directions set for convenience of description. These directions are based on directions shown in
A pitch conversion device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The base portion 20 can arrange the optical fibers 10. As illustrated in
The first arrangement portion 21 and the second arrangement portion 22 are substantially rectangular grooves extending in a longitudinal direction of the base portion 20 (the front-rear direction in
The insertion portion 23 is a hole portion having a circular cross section and penetrating the base portion 20 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, a diameter of the insertion portion 23 is D1. The turning portion 3 can be inserted into the insertion portion 23.
The projection portion 24 includes a rectangular portion 241 and a protrusion portion 242. The rectangular portion 241 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protrusion portion 242 is located above the rectangular portion 241. The protrusion portion 242 has a protrusion shape in a top view. The protrusion portion 242 has an insertion hole 242A. The insertion hole 242A is a hole portion having a circular cross section.
The opening portion 25 is a hole portion having a substantially rectangular shape in a top view. The opening portion 25 is provided substantially at a center of an upper surface of the base portion 20. The opening portion 25 is disposed between the first arrangement portion 21 and the second arrangement portion 22. In a state where the turning portion 3 is inserted into the insertion portion 23, a part of the turning portion 3 is exposed from the opening portion 25.
The lid portion 40 is substantially L-shaped in a side view, that is, when viewed from the right side in the state of
The first portion 41 has a flat plate shape. The first portion 41 faces the optical fibers 10 in a state where the optical fibers 10 are arranged on the base portion 20. The first portion 41 includes a cutout portion 410 extending in the front-rear direction. The cutout portion 410 is provided substantially at a center of the first portion 41. A length of the cutout portion 410 in the longitudinal direction (the front-rear direction in
In a state where the lid portion 40 is attached to the base portion 20, the second portion 42 is disposed above the rectangular portion 241 in the base portion 20 and at a position on a left side or a right side of the protrusion portion 242. A lower portion of the second portion 42 is provided with a projection portion (not shown) extending in a short direction of the second portion 42 (the left-right direction in
The turning portion 3 is a cylindrical member made of resin or the like. The turning portion 3 is attached to the base portion 20 of the main body portion 2 by being inserted into the insertion portion 23. In a state of being attached to the base portion 20, the turning portion 3 is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise around an axis passing through an inside of the turning portion. The first holding portion 311 or the second holding portion 312 of the turning portion 3 is arranged between the first arrangement portion 21 and the second arrangement portion 22 in a top view in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 20 (the front-rear direction in
As illustrated in
An outer circumferential surface 310 of the first cylindrical portion 31 has a circular shape in a cross-sectional view. The turning portion 3 rotates with an axis passing through a center of the circular outer circumferential surface 310 in the cross-sectional view as a turning axis. The first holding portion 311, the second holding portion 312, and the third holding portion 313 are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first cylindrical portion 31 on the outer circumferential surface 310. That is, the first holding portion 311 and the second holding portion 312 are arranged on the outer circumferential surface 310 of the turning portion 3.
Here, the first holding portion 311, the second holding portion 312, and the third holding portion 313 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
A debossed character or a numeral is displayed on the operation portion 33. In the state illustrated in
The roller member 5 may be made of, for example, resin. The roller member 5 has an outer circumferential surface 51 having a circular shape in a cross-sectional view. The roller member 5 is rotatably attached to the lid portion 40 of the main body portion 2. The roller member 5 is disposed to be surrounded by the cutout portion 410 of the first portion 41. The roller member 5 is disposed at a position facing the first holding portion 311, the second holding portion 312, or the third holding portion 313. The roller member 5 is disposed such that a space for holding the optical fibers 10 is formed between the roller member 5 and the first holding portion 311, the second holding portion 312, or the third holding portion 313. The optical fibers 10 are accommodated in the space. When an upward force is applied to the optical fibers 10 in a state where the optical fibers 10 are accommodated in the space and the optical fibers 10 try to move upward, the roller member 5 comes into contact with the optical fibers 10 and prevents the upward movement of the optical fibers 10. That is, the roller member 5 prevents the optical fibers 10 from moving away from the turning portion 3. Thus, the roller member 5 can be in contact with the optical fibers 10 such that a holding state of the optical fibers 10 held by the first holding portion 311, the second holding portion 312, or the third holding portion 313 is maintained. The roller member 5 is rotatable in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the turning portion 3.
Next, an example of a method of using the pitch conversion device 1 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
Next, the operator turns the operation portion 33 clockwise by a half circle. Then, the first cylindrical portion 31 also rotates (is turned) clockwise by a half circle. At this time, since the optical fibers 10 held by the first holding portion 311 are subjected to a force in a direction toward the second arrangement portion 22 (the front direction in
While the turning portion 3 turns clockwise by a half circle, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 continuously changes along the plurality of grooves provided in the outer circumferential surface 310. That is, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 is initially 200 μm as illustrated in
Further, the position where the optical fibers 10 are held can be changed from the second holding portion 312 to the first holding portion 311 depending on the rotation angle (the turning angle) of the turning portion 3. Specifically, the operator turns the turning portion 3 such that the second holding portion 312 is exposed upward from the opening portion 25, and causes the second holding portion 312 to hold the optical fibers 10. Then, the operator turns the operation portion 33 counterclockwise by a half circle. Thus, the position where the optical fibers 10 are held can be changed from the second holding portion 312 to the first holding portion 311 depending on the rotation angle (the turning angle) of the turning portion 3.
As illustrated in
In the pitch conversion device 1 as described above, the position where the optical fibers 10 are held can be changed to the first holding portion 311 or the second holding portion 312 depending on the rotation angle of the turning portion 3 that rotates around the axis passing through the inside thereof in a state of being attached to the main body portion 2. As a result, for example, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 is converted from 200 μm (the first pitch) to 250 μm (the second pitch). Therefore, in the pitch conversion device 1, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 can be converted from 200 μm to 250 μm without sliding the optical fibers 10 in the axial direction of the optical fibers 10. Thus, in the pitch conversion device 1, there is no need to secure a certain length in the axial direction of the optical fibers 10, and the pitch conversion device 1 is made compact.
Further, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the roller member 5 can be in contact with the optical fibers 10 such that the holding state of the optical fibers 10 held by the first holding portion 311 or the second holding portion 312 is maintained. Therefore, for example, when the turning portion 3 is turned, the optical fibers 10 can be prevented from moving away from the turning portion 3. Therefore, the pitch conversion device 1 can prevent a reduction in the pitch conversion workability.
Further, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the roller member 5 is rotatable in a direction opposite to the direction in which the turning portion 3 rotates, and the outer circumferential surface 51 of the roller member 5 is in contact with the optical fibers. Therefore, the pitch conversion device 1 can convert the pitch of the optical fibers 10 without applying an excessive load to the optical fibers 10.
Further, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the main body portion 2 includes the first arrangement portion 21 having the width W1 corresponding to the first holding portion 311 and the second arrangement portion 22 having the width W2 corresponding to the second holding portion 312, and the first holding portion 311 or the second holding portion 312 of the turning portion 3 is arranged between the first arrangement portion 21 and the second arrangement portion 22. Therefore, the optical fibers 10 to be subjected to pitch conversion can be easily arranged in the first arrangement portion 21 and the optical fibers after pitch conversion can be easily arranged in the second arrangement portion 22. Therefore, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the pitch conversion workability can be improved.
Further, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the first holding portion 311 and the second holding portion 312 are arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the turning portion 3. The first holding portion 311 is provided with a plurality of grooves 311A to 311L at a pitch of 200 μm, and the second holding portion 312 is provided with a plurality of grooves 312A to 312L at a pitch of 250 μm. Since the optical fibers 10 can be respectively placed in the plurality of grooves, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 can be easily converted simply by turning the turning portion 3.
Further, according to the pitch conversion device 1, a plurality of grooves having a pitch of an intermediate value between a value of the first pitch and a value of the second pitch are provided between the first holding portion 311 and the second holding portion 312 in the circumferential direction of the turning portion 3. Specifically, the pitch of the grooves between the first holding portion 311 and the second holding portion 312 continuously changes in the circumferential direction of the turning portion 3. Therefore, according to the pitch conversion device 1, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 can be converted without applying an excessive load to the optical fibers 10.
Although the present disclosure has been described in detail and with reference to the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the number, positions, shapes, and the like of the constituent members described above are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, and can be changed to suitable numbers, positions, shapes, and the like in carrying out the present disclosure.
In the above-described embodiment, the pitch of the plurality of grooves arranged in the outer circumferential surface 310 of the first cylindrical portion 31 continuously changes in the circumferential direction of the first cylindrical portion 31, but may change discontinuously.
In the above-described embodiment, a plurality of grooves (for example, the plurality of grooves 313A to 313L) are provided at a portion of the outer circumferential surface 310 of the first cylindrical portion 31 other than the portions where the first holding portion 311 and the second holding portion 312 are arranged, but the grooves may not be provided on these portions.
In the above-described embodiment, the numerals “200” and “250” are displayed on the operation portion 33, but for example, characters or the like may be displayed.
In the above-described embodiment, the first pitch is 200 μm, and the second pitch is 250 μm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first pitch may be 180 μm, and the second pitch may be 250 μm, or the first pitch may be 180 μm, and the second pitch may be 200 μm. Further, the width W1 of the first arrangement portion 21 and the width W2 of the second arrangement portion 22 may be appropriately changed depending on the first pitch and the second pitch.
In the above-described embodiment, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 is converted from 200 μm to 250 μm, but the pitch of the optical fibers 10 may be converted from 250 μm to 200 μm, for example. That is, the pitch of the optical fibers 10 may be widened or narrowed by the pitch conversion device 1.
In the above-described embodiment, the pitch conversion device 1 is a device separated from a fiber holder, but the pitch conversion device 1 may be, for example, a base member of the fiber holder.
The above-described embodiment is described using the roller member 5 as an example of the contact portion, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Instead of the roller member 5, for example, a plate-shaped member or the like may be used as the contact portion. In this case, the contact portion may be attached to at least one of the main body portion and the turning portion.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-116451 | Jul 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/027578 | 7/13/2022 | WO |
