Arc fusion splicer for optical fibers utilizing low and high accuracy

Abstract

A micro-welder for optical fibers includes a stand having a central support surrounded by two lateral supports or beams. The beams are suitable for moving under drive from a bending movement about respective X-axes. The stand also supports a device for securing optical fibers on the beams and a device for accurately guiding the fibers on the central support. A low accuracy first displacement device is adapted to displace the beams to bring the fibers into end-to-end contact with each other by relative translation movement along their longitudinal Z-axis which is orthogonal to the X-axes. A high accuracy second displacement device is adapted for moving the beams to drive the fibers with accurate relative translation movements along the Z-axis. Two welding electrodes are provided and an optical device which includes a microscope for observing the ends of said optical fibers. The micro-welder second displacement device (25, 25') enables a continuous cycle of relative translation movements to be performed between the fibers (F, F') along the Z-axis in both directions. Further, the optical device includes a mechanism co-operating with the microscope (27) and enabling a single image of the optical fibers (F, F') to be obtained before and after welding as seen along two mutually orthogonal viewing directions.