Patent ID: 6519977
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
An optical fiber preform suspending and supporting apparatus comprising:a cylindrical movable connector for housing a columnar lower end of a main shaft; circular through holes formed in order to pass horizontally through a lower end of a main shaft and a movable connector; a columnar pin which passes through the through holes to connect the movable connector with the main shaft and supports the movable connector swingably with respect the main shaft about the pin; and a holding portion having an insertion space integrally formed with the movable connector, positioned at the bottom portion of the movable connector, and housing a columnar enlarged-diameter portion of the upper end of a support of an optical fiber preform or a porous optical fiber preform and a supporting portion which defines the bottom surface of the insertion space, having an insertion slit for passing the support of an optical fiber preform or a porous optical fiber preform, and supporting a flat bottom of the columnar enlarged-diameter portion of the support of an optical fiber preform or a porous optical fiber preform, wherein the center lines of the main shaft, the movable connector, the holding portion, and the supporting portion coincide, and the difference between the outside diameter of the columnar pin and the outside diameter of the lower end of the main shaft, the difference between the outside diameter of the lower end of the main shaft and the inside diameter of the movable connector, and the difference between the outside diameter of the enlarged-diameter portion of the support of an optical fiber preform or a porous optical fiber preform and the inside diameter of the holding portion are defined so that the movable connector is swingable around the axis of the pin.