Optical fiber transverse stress detector

Abstract

According to the present invention, a fiber optic transverse stress detector comprises a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence from top to bottom; the assembly units are cylindrical, with grooves on the upper surface and protrusions on the lower surface, and the protrusions of adjacent assembly units cooperate with the grooves; the outer periphery of the assembly units is provided with a plurality of longitudinal notches, and the longitudinal notches are used to install the optical fiber. The protrusions of one assembly unit cooperate with the grooves of another assembly unit, and the assembly units are sequentially assembled to form the overall structure of the detector, the outer periphery of the assembly units is provided with a plurality of longitudinal notches, and the outer side of the overall structure of the detector forms a through longitudinal notch to install the test optical fiber, when monitoring the external environment, the detector can be inserted into the installation hole where the transverse stress needs to be monitored, and when the monitoring environment is turbulent, the fiber optic transverse stress detector can produce deformation with high precision and high efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of optical fiber sensing, and more specifically, relates to an optical fiber transverse stress detector. Background Art

[0002] Rescue environment monitoring is an important task in safety monitoring. It has the characteristics of large scale, large differences in rescue environment, and real-time dynamic monitoring. Therefore, some conventional point monitoring methods can no longer meet the requirements. Optical time domain reflectometry is a new type of photoelectric sensing monitoring technology. The optical time domain reflectometer works through the backscattered Rayleigh scattering signal generated in the measured optical fiber. Therefore, the optical time domain reflectometer can respond to the lateral stress of the light, and then measure the loss caused by the bending of the optical fiber.

[0003] In the prior art, optical fibers are usually installed by directly burying them. Optical fibers require large lateral stress and displacement to produce obvious visible losses. Therefore, in actual monitoring environments, there are problems of insensitive and untimely response to lateral stress changes.

[0004] Therefore, it is expected to invent an optical fiber transverse stress detector that can effectively solve the problem that the optical fiber is insensitive and untimely to the transverse stress change due to the buried optical fiber. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber transverse stress detector to solve the problem in the prior art that the optical fiber is not sensitive and timely in responding to transverse stress changes by burying the optical fiber.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical fiber lateral stress detector, comprising a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence from top to bottom;

[0007] The assembly unit is cylindrical, with a groove on the upper surface and a protrusion on the lower surface, and the protrusions of adjacent assembly units cooperate with the grooves; a plurality of longitudinal notches are provided on the periphery of the assembly unit, and the longitudinal notches are used to install optical fibers.

[0008] Optionally, a through hole is provided at the center of the assembly unit;

[0009] The optical fiber lateral stress detector also includes a connector, the length of which is greater than the total height of the multiple assembly units, and the connector can be inserted into the through hole of the assembly unit to connect the multiple assembly units.

[0010] Optionally, the connector is tubular;

[0011] The optical fiber transverse stress detector further comprises an alignment mounting rod, the length of the alignment mounting rod is greater than the length of the connector, and the alignment mounting rod can be inserted into the connector.

[0012] Optionally, the groove of the assembling unit is arranged parallel to or perpendicular to the protrusion.

[0013] Optionally, among two adjacent assembly units, the groove of one assembly unit is arranged parallel to its protrusion, and the groove of the other assembly unit is arranged perpendicular to its protrusion.

[0014] Optionally, a protective cap is further included, and the protective cap is arranged at one end of the plurality of assembly units connected in sequence.

[0015] Optionally, the protective cap is a soft rubber protective cap.

[0016] Optionally, the connector is an elastic connector.

[0017] Optionally, the groove and the protrusion are both strip-shaped and are arranged along a radial direction through the center of the assembly unit.

[0018] Optionally, the longitudinal notches of the multiple assembly units are aligned with each other after assembly to form a through groove that runs from top to bottom for installing optical fibers.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] During the assembly process of the assembly unit, the protrusion of one assembly unit is matched with the groove of another assembly unit, and the detector structure is assembled in sequence. The outer periphery of the assembly unit is provided with multiple longitudinal notches. The outer side of the assembled detector structure will form a through longitudinal notch to install the test optical fiber. When monitoring the external environment, the detector can be inserted into the hole where the transverse stress needs to be monitored. When the monitoring environment generates transverse stress, the optical fiber transverse stress detector can produce obvious high-time deformation due to sliding, which effectively solves the problem that the optical fiber is not sensitive and timely to the change of transverse stress by burying the optical fiber. At the same time, the rod-shaped detector is easy to install.

[0021] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally represent like components throughout the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber transverse stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 A bottom view of an assembly unit of an optical fiber lateral stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 A side view showing a groove of an assembly unit of an optical fiber transverse stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in parallel with respect to a protrusion thereof.

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram showing a groove of an assembly unit of an optical fiber transverse stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the groove is arranged parallel to the protrusion thereof.

[0027] Figure 5 A side view showing an assembly unit of an optical fiber transverse stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a groove is vertically arranged relative to a protrusion thereof.

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram showing a groove of an assembly unit of an optical fiber transverse stress detector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the groove is vertically arranged relative to the protrusion thereof.

[0029] 1. Assembly unit; 11. Groove; 12. Raised portion; 13. Longitudinal notch; 14. Through hole; 2. Connector; 3. Alignment mounting rod; 4. Protective cap DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present invention more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0032] An optical fiber lateral stress detector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence from top to bottom;

[0033] The assembly unit is cylindrical, with a groove on the upper surface and a protrusion on the lower surface, and the protrusions and grooves of adjacent assembly units cooperate with each other; a plurality of longitudinal notches are provided on the periphery of the assembly unit, and the longitudinal notches are used to install optical fibers.

[0034] Specifically, during the assembly process of the assembly units, the raised portion of one assembly unit cooperates with the groove of another assembly unit, and the two are assembled in sequence to form the overall structure of the detector. A plurality of longitudinal grooves are provided on the periphery of the assembly unit, and a through longitudinal groove is formed on the outer side of the assembled overall structure of the detector to install the test optical fiber. When the external environment is monitored, the detector can be inserted into the hole where the lateral stress needs to be monitored. When the monitored environment becomes turbulent, lateral stress will be generated. The optical fiber lateral stress detector can produce deformation with high precision and timeliness, which effectively solves the problem of insensitive and untimely response of the optical fiber to lateral stress changes caused by burying the optical fiber.

[0035] In one example, a through hole is provided at the center of the assembly unit;

[0036] The optical fiber transverse stress detector further includes a connector, the length of the connector is greater than the total height of the multiple assembly units, and the connector can be inserted into the through hole of the assembly unit to connect the multiple assembly units;

[0037] The connector is an elastic connector.

[0038] Specifically, the connector is a hollow straight rod with a certain elasticity, which assembles all the assembly units into a whole through the through holes of the assembly units. The connector is used for conformal and sensitivity control of the assembly units after installation;

[0039] Furthermore, the number of assembly units can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions, and different numbers of assembly units can be selected to assemble the detector according to the required length.

[0040] In one example, the connector is tubular;

[0041] The optical fiber transverse stress detector further comprises an alignment mounting rod, the length of the alignment mounting rod is greater than the length of the connector, and the alignment mounting rod can be inserted into the connector.

[0042] Specifically, the alignment mounting rod is placed in the connector before the assembly unit is installed, and the alignment mounting rod can provide the overall rigidity of the detector during the installation of the detector; in other embodiments, the assembly unit can also have a double-hole structure, and the alignment mounting rod and the connector can be installed in different holes respectively. In this case, the connector is not made into a tubular structure, and this structure can keep the optical fiber lateral stress detector from being significantly bent during the installation process.

[0043] In one example, the groove of the assembly unit is arranged parallel to or perpendicular to the protrusion;

[0044] Of the two adjacent assembly units, the groove of one assembly unit is arranged parallel to its protrusion, and the groove of the other assembly unit is arranged perpendicular to its protrusion.

[0045] Specifically, during the actual installation process, the protrusion of one assembly unit is inserted into the groove of the adjacent assembly unit. After splicing, the protrusion can slide relatively axially in the groove, which may affect the sensitivity of the detector due to the difference between the direction of stress and the sliding direction. Therefore, in the two adjacent assembly units, the groove of one assembly unit is set parallel to its protrusion, and the groove of the other assembly unit is set vertically to its protrusion. This setting can effectively avoid the sensitivity of the detector being affected by the difference between the stress direction and the sliding direction.

[0046] In one example, a protective cap is further included, and the protective cap is disposed at one end of a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence.

[0047] Specifically, a protective cap is provided at one end of a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence. During the actual installation process, the protective cap is inserted downward into the hole. The use of the protective cap helps to reduce the light loss caused by excessive pressure on the optical fiber caused by the bending of the detector head, and can also prevent damage to the detection optical fiber caused when the detector is inserted into the installation hole.

[0048] In one example, the grooves and the protrusions are both strip-shaped and are arranged in a radial direction through the center of the assembly unit.

[0049] Specifically, the grooves and protrusions are both strip-shaped and are arranged in a radial direction through the center of the assembly unit. This structural design makes the installation of the assembly unit more convenient. During installation, the protrusion of one assembly unit can be directly inserted into the groove of the adjacent assembly unit. The operation is simple and convenient, and labor costs are effectively saved.

[0050] In one example, the longitudinal slots of the plurality of assembly units are aligned with each other after assembly to form a through slot that passes from top to bottom for installing the optical fiber.

[0051] Specifically, a longitudinal slot is formed on the side of the detector, which is passed through vertically, and the detection optical fiber is installed in the longitudinal slot, and can be fixed by bonding or sealing. This optical wiring method is much more sensitive to lateral stress than the optical fiber winding method.

[0052] Further, each assembly unit preferably has four longitudinal slots evenly arranged.

[0053] Example

[0054] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, according to the utility model, a fiber optic transverse stress detector comprises a plurality of assembly units 1 connected sequentially from top to bottom; the assembly unit 1 is cylindrical, and a groove 11 is provided on the upper surface, and the grooves shown in the figure are two mutually perpendicular grooves, and a protrusion 12 is provided on the lower surface, and the protrusions 12 of adjacent assembly units 1 cooperate with the groove 11; a plurality of longitudinal notches 13 are provided on the periphery of the assembly unit 1, and the longitudinal notches 13 of the plurality of assembly units 1 are aligned with each other to form a through groove that passes from top to bottom, and the longitudinal notches 13 are used to install optical fibers. A through hole 14 is provided at the center of the assembly unit. The fiber optic transverse stress detector also includes a connector 2, the length of the connector 2 is greater than the total height of the plurality of assembly units 1, and the connector 2 can be inserted into the through hole 14 of the assembly unit 1 to connect the plurality of assembly units 1; the connector 2 is tubular. The fiber optic transverse stress detector also includes an alignment mounting rod 3, the length of the alignment mounting rod 3 is greater than the length of the connector 2, and the alignment mounting rod 3 can be inserted into the connector 2. The fiber optic transverse stress detector also includes a protective cap 4, which is provided at one end of the plurality of assembly units 1 connected sequentially.

[0055] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, there are two groups of grooves 11 of the assembly unit 1, which are arranged parallel and perpendicular to the protrusion 12, so as to facilitate the unification of the assembly units; among two adjacent assembly units 1, the grooves 11 of one assembly unit 1 are arranged parallel to its protrusion 12, and the grooves 11 of the other assembly unit 1 are arranged perpendicular to its protrusion 12. The grooves 11 and the protrusion 12 are both strip-shaped and are arranged in the radial direction through the center of the assembly unit 1.

[0056] To sum up, during the assembly process of the assembly units, the protrusion of one assembly unit cooperates with the groove of another assembly unit, and they are assembled in sequence to form the overall structure of the detector. The outer periphery of the assembly unit is provided with multiple longitudinal grooves, and the outer side of the overall structure of the detector forms a through longitudinal groove to install the test optical fiber.

[0057] During the installation process, a mounting hole with a diameter slightly larger than the sensor detector is drilled in the area where the lateral stress changes need to be monitored. The sensor is inserted into the mounting hole together with the alignment mounting rod. With the help of the rigidity of the alignment mounting rod, the sensor enters the mounting hole as a whole. Diluted fine mortar is poured into the hole to fill the excess space, and then the alignment mounting rod is pulled out. The detector is connected to the optical fiber network and monitored using OTDR.

[0058] When the monitoring environment is turbulent, the optical fiber lateral stress detector can produce deformation with high precision and timeliness, effectively solving the problem of insensitive and untimely response of optical fiber to lateral stress changes caused by burying optical fiber.

[0059] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Claims

1. An optical fiber transverse stress detector, characterized in that: It includes a plurality of assembly units connected in sequence from top to bottom; The assembly unit is cylindrical, with a groove on the upper surface and a protrusion on the lower surface, and the protrusions of adjacent assembly units cooperate with the grooves; a plurality of longitudinal notches are provided on the outer periphery of the assembly unit, and the longitudinal notches are used to install optical fibers; The groove of the assembly unit is arranged parallel to or perpendicular to the protrusion; The groove and the protrusion are both strip-shaped and are arranged along the radial direction through the center of the assembly unit; Of the two adjacent assembly units, the groove of one assembly unit is arranged parallel to its protrusion, and the groove of the other assembly unit is arranged perpendicular to its protrusion; A through hole is provided at the center of the assembly unit; The optical fiber lateral stress detector also includes a connector, the length of which is greater than the total height of the multiple assembly units, and the connector can be inserted into the through hole of the assembly unit to connect the multiple assembly units.

2. The optical fiber transverse stress detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector is tubular; The optical fiber transverse stress detector further comprises an alignment mounting rod, the length of the alignment mounting rod is greater than the length of the connector, and the alignment mounting rod can be inserted into the connector.

3. The optical fiber transverse stress detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a protective cap, which is arranged at one end of the plurality of assembly units connected in sequence.

4. The optical fiber transverse stress detector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The protective cap is a soft rubber protective cap.

5. The optical fiber transverse stress detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector is an elastic connector.

6. The optical fiber transverse stress detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The longitudinal notches of the plurality of assembly units are aligned with each other after assembly to form a through slot that runs from top to bottom for installing optical fibers.

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