Optical fiber screening apparatus

Abstract

An optical fiber screening apparatus is provided with a feeding part that feeds an optical fiber; a screening part that adds tension to the fed optical fiber, and screens the optical fiber; a windingpart that winds the screened optical fiber; and a static electricity removing part that is disposed along a prescribed passing route among optical fiber passing routes from the output side of the screening part to the input side of the winding part. The static electricity removing part removes the static electricity of the optical fiber traveling through the prescribed passing route.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a screening device for optical fibers. Background technique [0002] Usually, in the manufacturing process of optical fiber, the optical fiber base material is heated and melted by a drawing furnace, and drawn into a glass optical fiber, and a cladding layer is formed on the outer periphery of the drawn glass optical fiber to manufacture an optical fiber. The output fiber is wound up in the bobbin. Then, the optical fiber wound up on the bobbin in this manner is wound up on another bobbin such as a bobbin for shipping. In the process of unwinding the optical fiber from the bobbin to another bobbin, a test is performed on the optical fiber to determine the portion of the optical fiber having insufficient tensile strength by applying tension, that is, screening is performed. [0003] Screening is performed by applying a predetermined tension to the optical fiber while guiding the optical fiber unwound from the previous bobbin a...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] In addition, as mentioned above, static electricity may be generated due to friction between the optical fiber and pulleys in the route from when the optical fiber is unwound, through screening, to unwinding.

In particular, optical fibers are made of insulating materials such as quartz glass and coating resin, so they are easily charged with static electricity.

When the optical fiber running along the route generates static electricity, the optical fibers wound on the bobbin and adjacent to each turn will repel or attract each other, which makes it sometimes difficult to wind the screened optical fiber neatly in the bobbin

For example, when the selected optical fiber is wound up on the bobbin, local crossings or the like may occur, resulting in local winding failure of the optical fiber.

This poor winding causes stress to be applied to the optical fiber wound up in the bobbin, which not only causes deterioration of optical transmission loss, but also causes breakage of the optical fiber unwound from the bobbin.

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