Hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus

Details Hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus Hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus

2002-03-08

2004-06-22

Kim, Ellen E. (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

Accessories

External retainer/clamp

C225S093000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06754426

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an optical fiber cutting apparatus. More particularly, the invention provides a hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus that can be manipulated by a single operator to cut off an optical fiber, and is suitable for use in limited workspace.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
As the demand of channel supports for data and signal transfers is increasing, optical fibers provide many advantages including a low signal deterioration, a large frequency band, no conductivity, no negative irradiation, no inductance effect, a small size, a small radius of curvature, and a lightweight. Optical fibers thus adequately accompany the development of high order digital multiplex technology and opto-electronic devices. Currently, optical fiber communication is already a principal support for network signal transfer.
The installation of optical fibers is usually under the form of optical fiber cables. Exposed to various environmental factors that may cause damages and deterioration, optical fiber cables necessitate maintenance or replacement. The glass optical fibers within the optical fiber cables are extremely thin (diameter of about 125 mm). Moreover, during the maintenance, a cutting operation of optical fiber necessitates a high accuracy and relatively flat cutting face. Otherwise, after the welding operation, the optical fiber may present a negative light scattering effect. Optical fiber cutting technology thus needs to be developed.
Presently, conventional optical fiber cutting apparatuses need to be operated on a large platform. The cutting operation is therefore difficult to achieve in limited workspace. Conventionally, the cutting operation of optical fiber by means of a traditional hand-held cutting apparatus is performed through, first, adequately disposing the optical fiber on the working platform. The optical fiber is usually fixedly positioned via a flexible element pressing one end of the optical fiber while the operator via one hand presses on another end. After the operator has manually manipulated a cutting blade rotated onto the surface of the optical fiber to achieve a precut trace, the operator then cuts off the optical fiber via his hand.
Because the operator manually manipulates the cutting blade and its rotation, the cutting location and the precutting depth cannot be accurately controlled. Moreover, the cutting face of the optical fiber is not flat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus that enables an accurate control of the precut depth and allows a single operator to effectively achieve the cutting operation.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, a hand-held optical fiber cutting apparatus of the invention comprises a base over which a cutting device and a bending device, comprised of a pushing shaft mounted onto the cutting device, slide to perform cutting. The base supports a pair of optical fiber guiding supports that are co-axially mounted thereon to receive the optical fiber to be cut. An optical fiber clamp is pivotably mounted to the base with a push-button switch that controls the opening or closing rotation of the optical fiber clamp. A sliding base is slidably mounted to the base and a lower magnet is fixedly attached onto the base. A lower clamping block is placed between the optical fiber guiding supports. An upper clamping block and an upper magnet are mounted on a lower side of the optical fiber clamp respectively vis-à-vis the lower clamping block and the lower magnet. Being fixedly assembled with the slide base, the cutting device slides along with the slide base over the base, the cutting device being provided with a cutting blade at an extremity thereof. The bending device further comprises a bending base pivotably assembled with the base, and the pushing shaft of the bending device is fixedly mounted onto a lower side of the cutting device to rotatably deviate the bending base via the slide of the cutting device.
To perform a cutting operation with the above apparatus, the optical fiber clamp is first opened by means of the push-button switch to dispose the optical fiber to be cutted on the optical fiber guiding supports. The optical fiber clamp then is closed to tightly hold the optical fiber, and the cutting device and the bending device are manually pushed toward the optical fiber to achieve its cutting. The optical fiber cutting is performed through, first, a precut of the optical fiber by the cutting blade, followed by an effective cut off achieved via a rotary deviation of the bending base pushed by the pushing shaft.


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