Another disadvantage of the manual handling is the difficulty to prepare subsequent fibers in the same way; i. e. the handling is operator dependent. Thus, the process is not entirely reproducible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of present invention is to provide an arrangement and a method for receiving and holding optical fibers during an automated process for preparation of fiber ends. This is achieved by means of a fixture that can receive and hold a plurality of optical fibers in a system for preparation of fiber ends, where the process is automated.

Due to the possibility to handle several optical fibers at the same time, the invention enables a more efficient handling process than conventional technology.

Another advantage of the present invention is the possibility to reduce the number of damaged fibers since each fiber is handled in exactly the same manner.

Finally, the invention enables the introduction of automated processes.

The invention comprises collecting an optical fiber from a preceding process and positioning the fiber above a fixture in such a manner that the fiber is aligned with one of a series of groove on the topside of the fixture. Subsequently the fiber is positioned and fastened in the groove on the fixture. This process is repeated until a predetermined number of optical fibers are fastened in the corresponding number of grooves on the fixture.

The invention will be described more in detail below with reference to the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING -Fig. 1 is perspective view of an embodiment of a fixture according to the invention, -Fig. 2 is perspective view of an embodiment of a fixture according to the invention, with received and held optical fibers, which fill part of the grooves, -Fig. 3 is perspective view of an embodiment of a fixture according to the invention, with all grooves filled with optical fibers, -Fig. 4 is perspective view of a number of fixtures according to the invention with optical fibers that are piled on top of each other, -Fig. 5 is a front view of a pile of fixtures with fibers according to the invention, -Fig. 6 is an end view of a groove in a fixture according to the invention, -Fig. 7 is perspective view of a number of piled fixtures, according to the invention, mounted for a subsequent process step, -Fig. 8 is a schematic overview of an assembly in which an embodiment of the invention can be used, with a shown device for moving the fixtures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of a fixture for receiving and holding optical fibers, according to the invention, is described more in detail below with reference to Fig.

1 and Fig. 6.

The fixture shown in Fig. 1 comprises a plate 1 with a number of parallel grooves 2 for the optical fibers 5 on its topside, first means 3 for interaction with gripping means (not shown) for moving the fixture and second means 4 for engaging and holding other fixtures.

The grooves 2 in the preferred embodiment are adapted to be equally spaced. But it is implied that depending on the subsequent process the grooves 2 can be unevenly distributed across the topside of the plate 1. Furthermore, the grooves 2 of the fixture according to the invention have a cross section with vertical sides and edges that are beveled at a predetermined angle as is shown in Fig. 6. Also, the grooves 2 have a predetermined depth.

Said first means 3 for interaction with gripping means (not shown) for moving the fixture are adapted as holes in the plate 1, with such a length that each groove 2 is divided into a number of short grooves. In the preferred embodiment the grooves 2 are adapted in such a manner that the outmost short grooves are wider than the innermost short grooves. This means that only the innermost parts of one groove 2 holds the fiber. The outmost parts of a groove 2 acts to maintain the alignment of the fiber 5 as well as protecting the plastic shell of the fiber from a subsequent metallization of the exposed fiberend.

Said first means 3 could be adapted differently depending on the design of the gripping means (not shown).

Said second means 4 for holding other plates 1, according to the invention, are adapted as plugs on the topside of the plate 1 and holes in the plate 1. Upon piling fixtures on top of each other, the plugs on one plate 1 are adapted to engage the holes of another plate 1, and vice versa. In order to be able to pile a plurality of fixtures on top of each other said second means 4 are adapted to be placed in a mirrored manner from one plate 1 to the next plate 1. It is implied that said second means 4 could be shaped in other ways as well.

Also, in order to prevent the exposed fiber ends in a pile of fixtures from shadowing each other during a metallization process, the grooves 2 in a pile of fixtures can be adapted to be laterally displaced from one fixture to another, see Fig 5.

The receiving and fastening of optical fibers 5 in a preferred embodiment of a fixture according to the invention is described below with reference to Figs. 1-8.

An optical fiber 5 with a prepared fiber end is collected from a preceding process step by a moving means 7 for moving the fiber. In the preferred embodiment, according to the invention, the means constitutes an industrial robot with attached gripping means. Subsequently, the optical fiber 5 is positioned above a fixture in such a manner that the fiber 5 is aligned with one of a number of grooves 2 for receiving and holding optical fibers 5 on the topside of the fixture. Thereafter the fiber 5 is pressed into the groove 2 on the fixture in such a manner that the fiber 5 is fastened in the groove 2.

The pressing of the optical fiber 5 into the groove 2 on the fixture is performed in such a manner that the centerline of the optical fiber 5 is located at or below a predetermined minimum distance from the topside of the fixture.

The preceding steps are repeated until a predetermined number of optical fibers 5 are fastened in a corresponding number of grooves 2 on the fixture, or until all the grooves 2 on the fixture are occupied by fibers 5, see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. This step is repeated for a number of fixtures until a predetermined number of optical fibers 5 in a predetermined number of fixtures are fastened.

Consequently each fixture with optical fibers 5 is moved to a holder 6 for fixtures, by means for moving fixtures. In the preferred embodiment, according to the invention, the moving means are the same moving means as for the individual

optical fibers. It is understood that the means for moving the fixtures to a holder 6 can be adapted in a plurality of different ways, even manually.

Positioning subsequent fixtures in the holder 6 is performed in the following two steps.

In the first step, a second fixture with optical fibers 5 is positioned above the first fixture in the holder 6 in such a manner that the optical fibers 5 in both fixtures are substantially parallel. Consequently, the grooves 2 on the fixtures are also substantially parallel, and the prepared fiber ends are oriented in the same direction.

In the second step, the second fixture is placed on top of the first fixture in such a manner that the means 4 for engaging and holding fixtures on both fixtures engage and the fixtures in the holder 6 form a right-angled parallelepiped.

The preceding two steps are repeated for a plurality of fixtures with optical fibers 5 until a predetermined number of fixtures are located in the holder 6 for fixtures and/or the holder 6 is full, see Fig. 7. Thereby, the fixtures are assembled and ready for a subsequent process, e. g. metallization of the fiber ends. Subsequently, the holder 6 is moved to a next process.

In Fig. 8 is a system in which the method and arrangement, according to the invention, can be utilized. The arrows indicate where the optical fiber enters and exits the process. Each box indicates a separate treatment station for an optical fiber.

The moving means for the optical fiber 7 is also shown. Finally the position and actual setup of the arrangement is shown on the only occupied box.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the above described and in the drawings shown embodiments, but can be varied within the limits of the appended claims.