APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING OPTICAL FIBER HAVING BENT PART

To provide an apparatus and a method for manufacturing an optical fiber having a bent part by a simple constitution and method using only a rotation mechanism without requiring movement means for moving an optical fiber in a lengthwise direction of the optical fiber.SOLUTION: An apparatus 1 of manufacturing an optical fiber comprises: a rotary member 21 that is provided with a holding member 23 for holding optical fibers; a guide member 30 that is fixed at a position apart from the rotary member 21 and retains one end sides of glass fibers 11 in a loosely fitted manner; and a heating mechanism that heats the glass fibers at a portion in which bent parts are disposed. The rotary member 21 is rotated at a certain angle counterclockwise, which causes the glass fibers 11 to be bent at a predetermined curvature while being drawn from a guide member 30 side, and the bent parts of the glass fibers 11 are heated as well.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】光ファイバの長手方向に光ファイバを移動させる移動手段を必要とすることなく、回転機構のみの簡単な構成および方法によって、屈曲した光ファイバの製造装置および製造方法を提供する。【解決手段】光ファイバの製造装置１は、光ファイバを把持する把持部材２３を備えた回転部材２１と、回転部材２１から離れた位置に固定されガラスファイバ１１の一端側を遊嵌させて保持するガイド部材３０と、屈曲部を設ける部位のガラスファイバを加熱する加熱機構を備える。回転部材２１を反時計回りに一定角度回転し、ガラスファイバ１１ガイド部材３０側から引き込みながら所定の曲率で屈曲させるとともに、ガラスファイバ１１の屈曲部を加熱する。【選択図】図２