Patent ID: 9268090
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: G02B

Claim Text:
1. A fusion splicing apparatus comprising: a pair of discharge electrodes configured to discharge-heat end faces of a pair of optical fibers for fusion splicing the end faces to each other; holding units configured to hold the pair of optical fibers; V-groove blocks each having a V-groove, the V-groove configured to receive, position, and fix a part of the optical fiber on an end-face side of the holding unit; V-groove-block moving mechanisms configured to move the V-groove blocks to shift an axial center of the pair of optical fibers from a straight line joining the pair of discharge electrodes to each other; and holding-unit moving mechanisms moving the holding units according to the movements of the V-groove-block moving mechanisms so that the axial center of the pair of optical fibers is shifted from the straight line joining the pair of discharge electrodes to each other while the pair of optical fibers is roughly in a straight line between the V-groove-block and the holding, wherein the holding-unit moving mechanism includes: a pair of first and second guide faces that cross the moving direction of the holding unit; the first guide face being a tilt face tilted with respect to a plane that is orthogonal to the moving direction; a first guide member that is positioned between the pair of guide faces, is in contact with the tilt face, and is moved along the plane that is orthogonal to the moving direction; a second guide member that is in contact with the second guide face opposing the tilt face and is moved along the plane that is orthogonal to the moving direction; and a drive unit that moves the guide members along the plane that is orthogonal to the moving direction.