An automatic optical fiber tube threading machine

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic optical fiber tube penetrating machine, which comprises a workbench, a fiber arranging plate and a mechanical arm. The fiber arranging plate is provided with a plurality of fixing grooves for placing optical fibers, and is arranged on the workbench and can reciprocate along the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The mechanical arm is arranged above the workbench, and the mechanical arm is provided with a glue dropping device and a rotatable tube clamp. After the tube clamp rotates, the hole of the glass tube can receive the glue of the glue dropping device. The mechanical arm drives the tube clamp to move along the Z-axis to align the hole of the glass tube with the optical fiber. The fiber arranging plate moves forward along the Y-axis direction to penetrate the fiber core of the optical fiber into the hole of the glass tube. The automatic glue dropping of the glass tube is realized, the automatic tube penetrating of the fiber core of the optical fiber is realized, the tube penetrating efficiency of the optical fiber is improved, and the labor intensity of the operator is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device in the field of optical fiber passive device manufacturing research, and in particular to an automatic optical fiber tube threading machine. Background Technology

[0002] Optical fiber is short for fiber waveguide or optical fiber for transmitting light. Its typical structure is a multi-layered coaxial cylinder, consisting of a core, cladding, and coating from the inside out. The core and cladding are the core and cladding, respectively. The core, made of a highly transparent material, is the main transmission channel for light waves; the cladding has a slightly lower refractive index than the core, making the light transmission performance relatively stable. The thickness of the core and the refractive indices of the core and cladding materials have a decisive influence on the characteristics of the optical fiber. The coating includes primary coating, buffer layer, and secondary coating, which protect the optical fiber from moisture erosion and mechanical abrasion, while also increasing its flexibility and extending its lifespan. In subsequent optical fiber processing, after the cladding is removed, the core needs to be cleaned, then threaded into a glass tube, and the glass tube and core are fixed together with glue. In current technology, the core is generally threaded into the glass tube manually, which is inefficient, the core is easily broken, and the labor intensity is high. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide an automatic fiber optic tube insertion machine to realize the automatic insertion of fiber cores.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an automatic fiber optic tube threading machine is provided, comprising:

[0005] Workbench;

[0006] The fiber optic cable has multiple slots for placing optical fibers. The fiber optic cable is set on a workbench and can reciprocate along the X and Y axes.

[0007] A robotic arm is positioned above the workbench. The robotic arm is equipped with a dispensing device and a rotatable tube clamp. After the tube clamp rotates, the hole in the glass tube can receive the glue from the dispensing device. The robotic arm drives the tube clamp to move along the Z-axis to align the hole in the glass tube with the optical fiber. The fiber tray moves forward along the Y-axis to pass the fiber core of the optical fiber into the hole in the glass tube.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine has a lower end face of the tube clamp having a conforming cavity for accommodating a glass tube and an adsorption hole communicating with the conforming cavity, and the adsorption hole is connected to a vacuum generator through a pipeline.

[0009] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine is provided with a rotary cylinder on the robotic arm, and the tube clamp is installed on the rotating end of the rotary cylinder.

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine is provided on the robotic arm with a fiber optic positioning block and a Z-axis cylinder for driving the fiber optic positioning block to move in the Z-axis direction, and the lower end face of the fiber optic positioning block is provided with a positioning cavity that can limit the position of the fiber optic cable.

[0011] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine is provided with an X-axis cylinder for driving the fiber optic positioning block to move in the X-axis direction, and the Z-axis cylinder is installed at the execution end of the X-axis cylinder.

[0012] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine includes a dispensing device comprising a reservoir for holding adhesive and a dispensing tube connected to the reservoir, wherein the outlet of the dispensing tube is disposed downward along the Z-axis direction.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine has a needle installed at the outlet of the dispensing tube.

[0014] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the automatic fiber optic tube threading machine has a support block on the robotic arm, and a guide groove is provided on the support block. One end of the needle passes through the guide groove along the Z-axis and is exposed.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: After the glass tube is gripped by the tube clamp, the clamp rotates to deliver the glass tube below the dispensing device, making the axis of the glass tube's hole parallel to the Z-axis. After the adhesive from the dispensing device drips into the hole of the glass tube, the tube clamp resets, making the axis of the glass tube's hole parallel to the Y-axis. This positions the glass tube's hole at the same height as the optical fiber on the fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable moves forward along the Y-axis, threading the fiber core into the hole of the glass tube. The tube clamp then releases the glass tube, and the robotic arm drives the clamp to grip the glass tube again for threading the next optical fiber. This invention achieves automatic dispensing of adhesive onto the glass tube and automatic threading of the optical fiber core, improving the threading efficiency and reducing the labor intensity of operators. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly explained below. Obviously, the described drawings are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Those skilled in the art can obtain other design schemes and drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0024] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0026] Reference Figures 1-5An automatic fiber optic cable insertion machine includes a worktable 10, a gantry frame 12, a fiber tray 11, and a robotic arm 13. The fiber tray 11 has multiple slots for placing optical fibers. The fiber tray 11 is mounted on the worktable 10 and can reciprocate along the X and Y axes. It should be noted that the movement of the fiber tray 11 along the X and Y axes can be achieved by a servo motor and a guide rail, respectively. The robotic arm 13 is mounted on the crossbeam of the gantry frame 12 and is located on the worktable 10. Above, the robotic arm 13 is equipped with a robotic arm slider 14 that can move up and down along the Z-axis. A dispensing device and a rotatable tube clamp 18 are mounted on the robotic arm slider 14 and can move along the Z-axis with the slider 14. After the tube clamp 18 rotates, the hole in the glass tube can receive the adhesive from the dispensing device. The robotic arm 13 drives the tube clamp 18 to move along the Z-axis to align the hole in the glass tube with the optical fiber. The fiber tray 11 moves along the X and Y axes to pass the fiber core into the hole in the glass tube. It should be noted that the rotation of the tube clamp can be achieved by a cylinder or a crank-slider. The dispensing device is equipped with a dispensing control valve to control the dispensing process and prevent adhesive from dripping onto the optical fiber on the fiber tray 11. Of course, the worktable 10 is equipped with a glass tube feeding mechanism. The glass tube to be clamped is sent to the outlet end of the feeding mechanism, and the robotic arm 13 moves the tube clamp 18 to the outlet end of the feeding mechanism to grab the glass tube. The feeding mechanism can be a vibratory feeder and a conveyor track. The vibratory feeder is used to arrange the glass tubes and then send them to the conveyor track. The outlet of the conveyor track is the outlet end of the feeding mechanism. The tube clamp 18 can be a mechanical clamp for gripping the glass tubes or a vacuum suction clamp for adsorbing the glass tubes.

[0027] After the tube clamp 18 grasps the glass tube, it rotates to deliver the glass tube below the dispensing device, making the axis of the glass tube's hole parallel to the Z-axis. After the adhesive from the dispensing device drips into the hole of the glass tube, the tube clamp 18 resets, making the axis of the glass tube's hole parallel to the Y-axis. The robotic arm 13 adjusts the position of the glass tube so that the hole of the glass tube is at the same height as the optical fiber on the fiber optic plate 11. The fiber optic plate 11 moves forward along the Y-axis to thread the fiber core into the hole of the glass tube. The tube clamp 18 releases the glass tube, and the fiber optic plate 11 moves backward along the Y-axis. The robotic arm 13 drives the tube clamp 18 to grasp the glass tube, and the fiber optic plate 11 moves along the X-axis. The next optical fiber is aligned with the glass tube to facilitate the threading of the next optical fiber.

[0028] In some embodiments, to avoid damaging the glass tube, the lower end face of the tube clamp 18 is provided with a conformal cavity for accommodating the glass tube and an adsorption hole communicating with the conformal cavity. The adsorption hole is connected to a vacuum generator via a pipeline. The opening of the conformal cavity faces downward, and a control valve is provided on the pipeline. When the control valve is opened, the vacuum generator operates, the adsorption hole draws away air, and the glass tube is adsorbed into the conformal cavity.

[0029] In some embodiments, to improve rotation control accuracy, the robotic arm 13 is equipped with a rotary cylinder 22, and the tube clamp 18 is mounted on the rotating end of the rotary cylinder 22. The rotation angle range of the rotary cylinder 22 is 0 to 90°. Specifically, the robotic arm 13 moves the tube clamp 18 above the glass tube, the suction hole removes air, and the glass tube is suctioned into the contour cavity. The rotary cylinder 22 rotates the tube clamp 18 by 90°, so that the axis of the hole in the glass tube is parallel to the Z-axis direction. After the glue from the dispensing device drips into the hole of the glass tube, the rotary cylinder 22 resets, so that the axis of the hole in the glass tube is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The robotic arm 13 adjusts the position of the glass tube so that the hole in the glass tube is at the same height as the optical fiber on the fiber tray 11. The fiber tray 11 moves forward along the Y-axis direction to pass the fiber core into the hole of the glass tube. The tube clamp 18 releases the glass tube, leaving the glass tube on the optical fiber. The fiber tray 11 moves backward along the Y-axis, and the robotic arm 13 drives the tube clamp 18 to pick up the glass tube. The fiber tray 11 moves along the X-axis so that the next optical fiber is aligned with the glass tube.

[0030] In some embodiments, to improve the accuracy of tube insertion, the robotic arm 13 is equipped with a fiber optic positioning block 19 and a Z-axis cylinder 20 for driving the fiber optic positioning block 19 to move in the Z-axis direction. The lower end face of the fiber optic positioning block 19 is provided with a positioning cavity that can limit the position of the fiber optic cable. The position of the positioning cavity and the contouring cavity are located on the same axis, and the distance between the fiber optic positioning block 19 and the tube clamp 18 is greater than the radius of rotation of the tube clamp 18. Z-axis cylinder 20 moves downward, driving fiber positioning block 19 downward. The positioning cavity fixes the fiber to be inserted into the tube. The robotic arm 13 adjusts the position of the glass tube so that the hole in the glass tube is at the same height as the fiber on the fiber tray 11. The fiber tray 11 moves forward along the Y-axis to insert the fiber core into the hole in the glass tube. The tube clamp 18 releases the glass tube, leaving the glass tube on the fiber. Z-axis cylinder 20 drives fiber positioning block 19 to reset. The fiber tray 11 moves backward along the Y-axis and moves along the X-axis so that the next fiber is aligned with the working area of ​​the tube clamp 18 for insertion of the next fiber.

[0031] In some embodiments, to improve tube insertion accuracy, the robotic arm 13 is equipped with an X-axis cylinder 21 for driving the fiber positioning block 19 to move in the X-axis direction, and a Z-axis cylinder 20 is installed at the execution end of the X-axis cylinder 21. The distance between the fiber positioning block 19 and the tube clamp 18 is less than the radius of rotation of the tube clamp 18. The robotic arm 13 moves the tube clamp 18 above the glass tube, the suction hole removes the air, and the glass tube is suctioned into the contour cavity. The rotary cylinder 22 rotates the tube clamp 18 by 90°, so that the axis of the hole in the glass tube is parallel to the Z-axis direction. After the glue from the dispensing device drips into the hole of the glass tube, the rotary cylinder 22 resets, so that the axis of the hole in the glass tube is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The robotic arm 13 adjusts the position of the glass tube so that the hole in the glass tube is at the same height as the fiber on the fiber tray 11. The X-axis cylinder 21 drives the fiber contour block to move... Above the optical fiber to be inserted into the tube, the Z-axis cylinder 20 moves downward, driving the optical fiber positioning block 19 downward. The positioning cavity fixes the optical fiber to be inserted into the tube. The fiber arranging plate 11 moves forward along the Y-axis to insert the fiber core into the hole of the glass tube. The tube clamp 18 releases the glass tube, leaving the glass tube on the optical fiber. The Z-axis cylinder 20 and the X-axis cylinder 21 drive the optical fiber positioning block 19 to reset. The fiber arranging plate 11 moves backward along the Y-axis and moves along the X-axis, so that the next optical fiber is aligned with the working area of ​​the tube clamp 18, so that the next optical fiber can be inserted into the tube.

[0032] In some embodiments, the dispensing device includes a reservoir 15 for holding adhesive and a dispensing tube communicating with the reservoir 15, the outlet of the dispensing tube being disposed downward along the Z-axis. A dispensing control valve is disposed on the dispensing tube; when the rotary cylinder 22 delivers the glass tube to the outlet of the dispensing tube, the dispensing control valve opens, and adhesive drips from the outlet of the dispensing tube onto the glass tube.

[0033] In some embodiments, to improve the accuracy and precision of dispensing, a needle 16 is installed at the outlet of the dispensing tube. The needle 16 is a long and thin needle. A dispensing control valve is located on the dispensing tube. When the rotary cylinder 22 delivers the glass tube to the outlet of the dispensing tube, the dispensing control valve opens, and the adhesive enters the needle 16 from the dispensing tube. After forming a droplet at the outlet of the needle 16, the adhesive detaches from the needle 16 and drips onto the glass tube. The small outlet of the needle 16 effectively controls the amount of adhesive dispensed.

[0034] In some embodiments, to prevent the needle 16 from being damaged, the robotic arm 13 has a support block 17, which has a guide groove. One end of the needle 16 passes through the guide groove along the Z-axis and is exposed. The support block 17 serves to guide and protect.

[0035] The following is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] 1. The tube clamp 18 moves downward along the Z-axis to the set glass tube discharge position, the vacuum generator is activated, the tube clamp 18 sucks up the glass tube, and the tube clamp 18 moves upward along the Z-axis to the position where the axis of the hole of the glass tube is the same height as the optical fiber on the fiber tray 11.

[0037] 2. The rotary cylinder 22 is activated, rotating the tube clamp 18 by 90°, causing the glass tube to be vertically aligned with and close to the needle 16, completing the dispensing action. The rotary cylinder 22 then rotates 90° in the opposite direction to reset.

[0038] 3. The fiber optic board 11 moves along the X-axis, causing the first optical fiber on the fiber optic board 11 to move to the center of the glass tube. Then the fiber optic board 11 moves forward along the Y-axis, causing the first optical fiber on the fiber optic board 11 to move to a position about 3mm away from the front end of the glass tube.

[0039] 4. The X-axis cylinder 21 moves to the right, and then the Y-axis cylinder moves downward, so that the first optical fiber is placed in the V-shaped fork groove of the optical fiber positioning block 19, so that the optical fiber is more accurately positioned and aligned with the center of the glass tube.

[0040] 5. The fiber tray 11 moves forward along the Y-axis to insert the optical fiber into the glass tube. After inserting it a certain distance, the Z-axis cylinder 20 resets, and then the X-axis cylinder 21 resets.

[0041] 6. The vacuum generator stops operating, the vacuum is cut off, the glass tube separates from the suction head, the tube clamp 18 resets upward along the Z-axis, the fiber tray 11 resets backward along the Y-axis, and the fiber insertion is completed.

[0042] 7. Repeat the above steps until all optical fibers are inserted into the glass tube.

[0043] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic fiber optic tube threading machine, characterized in that, include: Workbench; The fiber optic cable has multiple slots for placing optical fibers. The fiber optic cable is set on a workbench and can reciprocate along the X and Y axes. A robotic arm is mounted above a workbench. The robotic arm is equipped with a dispensing device and a rotatable pipe clamp. The robotic arm is also equipped with a rotary cylinder, and the pipe clamp is mounted on the rotating end of the rotary cylinder. The process involves a rotary cylinder rotating the tube clamp by 90°, aligning the axis of the glass tube's hole with the Z-axis, allowing the hole to receive adhesive from the dispensing device. The rotary cylinder then aligns the axis of the glass tube's hole with the Y-axis. A robotic arm drives the tube clamp along the Z-axis to align the glass tube's hole with the optical fiber. A fiber optic plate moves forward along the Y-axis to insert the fiber core into the glass tube's hole. The tube clamp releases the glass tube, leaving it on the optical fiber, and the fiber optic plate retracts along the Y-axis. Finally, the robotic arm drives the tube clamp to pick up the glass tube, and the fiber optic plate moves along the X-axis to align the next optical fiber with the glass tube. The robotic arm is equipped with an optical fiber positioning block and a Z-axis cylinder for driving the optical fiber positioning block to move in the Z-axis direction. The lower end face of the optical fiber positioning block is provided with a positioning cavity that can limit the position of the optical fiber. The robotic arm is equipped with an X-axis cylinder for driving the optical fiber positioning block to move in the X-axis direction. The Z-axis cylinder is installed at the execution end of the X-axis cylinder.

2. The automatic fiber optic tube threading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end face of the tube clamp is provided with a conformal cavity for accommodating the glass tube and an adsorption hole that connects to the conformal cavity. The adsorption hole is connected to a vacuum generator through a pipeline.

3. The automatic fiber optic tube threading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispensing device includes a reservoir for holding adhesive and a dispensing tube connected to the reservoir, with the outlet of the dispensing tube facing downwards along the Z-axis.

4. The automatic fiber optic tube threading machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A needle is installed at the outlet of the dispensing tube.

5. The automatic fiber optic tube threading machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The robotic arm has a support block with a guide groove. One end of the needle passes through the guide groove along the Z-axis and is exposed.

Images