APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING A PLURALITY OF COATED OPTICAL FIBERS AND COLLECTIVE FUSION SPLICING METHOD USING THE APPARATUS

摘要

An apparatus for arranging a plurality of coated optical fibers in a plane and a collective fusion splicing method using the apparatus, comprising the steps of: arranging two sets of coated optical fibers in the plane; clamping, in each of the sets, end portions of the coated optical fibers with a clamping device; collectively removing, in each of the sets, coatings from the end portions of the coated optical fibers so as to obtain exposed fiber end portions; collectively cleaving, in each of the sets, the exposed fiber end portions so as to obtain cleaved end faces; collectively fusion splicing the two sets of the cleaved end faces so as to produce joints and collectively reinforcing the joints.