| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To reduce the loss of connection and to improve connecting efficiency by melt sticking and connecting the optical fibers to be connected while adjusting their position by making use of the light emitted by the fibers and the light intensity during melt sticking and heating. CONSTITUTION:When optical fibers 1, 1' to be connected arrive at a heating part 10, the clads and cores thereof are softened by heat and at the same time, light is emitted therefrom at the different light intensities. The positions in the directions (x) and (y) of the cores of fibers 1, 1' from the orthogonally intersecting directions (x), (y), the distance between the end faces of the opposed fibers 1, 1' and the luminous intensity in the juncture of the fibers 1, 1' are simultaneously measured by an image pickup device consisting of an objective lens system 12, an image sensor 13, an image sensor driving device 14 and an image processor 15. The positions in the (x), (y) directions of the image pickup direction in the right angled two directions of a control device 16 are controlled by the signal from said image pickup device, by which the axial alignment of the cores of the fibers 1, 1' is accomplished; in addition, the extent of the movement in the remaining (z) direction is adjusted and further the current in a gas discharge circuit 8 is adjusted, by which the heating temp. is maintained constant. |
