Fully automated fiber connector batch stripping device and automatic stripping device and fiber tail processing assembly

Abstract

This invention provides a fully automated batch fiber stripping device for fiber optic connectors, an automatic fiber stripping device, and a fiber tail processing assembly, capable of automatically inserting the coating and cutting the fiber tail at the fiber optic cable's tail. The fiber tail processing assembly, used to achieve the aforementioned objectives, includes a stripping frame, two seats, a drive unit, and a thermoforming heating unit. The two seats are slidably mounted on the stripping frame and include spaced-apart coating inserting blades and cutting blades. The drive unit drives the two seats to move towards or relative to each other, and the thermoforming heating unit heats the seats. The two seats can be driven to a clamping position to hold the fiber optic cable. In the clamping position, the coating inserting blade cuts into the coating of the fiber optic cable but not the core wire, while the cutting blade cuts the fiber optic cable, and the thermoforming heating unit transfers heat to the fiber optic cable's coating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fully automated fiber optic connector batch stripping device and an automatic stripping device and its fiber tail processing components. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic patch cords are used in fiber optic communication systems, fiber optic access networks, fiber optic data transmission, and local area networks. They consist of fiber optic cables and connectors. Before assembling the fiber optic cables and connectors, the cladding at the fiber ends of the fiber optic cables needs to be stripped and cut. This process is called fiber stripping.

[0003] Currently, fiber stripping operations mainly fall into two categories: manual and semi-automatic. Manual stripping involves manually peeling off the cladding one fiber at a time using wire strippers, which is extremely inefficient, and it's difficult to guarantee the stripping length and the surface quality of the core wire after stripping. Semi-automatic stripping primarily relies on manual loading and unloading, and sometimes even manual handling of the fiber wires for stripping, making the entire process labor-intensive. The stripping length is also easily affected by manual operation, making it difficult to guarantee accuracy. Furthermore, regardless of whether it's manual or semi-automatic stripping, the number of fiber wires that can be stripped simultaneously is limited, restricting overall stripping efficiency and making fully automated operations difficult to achieve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a fiber tail processing component that enables automated coating cutting and fiber tail trimming at the fiber tail of an optical fiber.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is an automatic fiber stripping device, which includes the aforementioned fiber tail processing component.

[0006] A fiber tail processing assembly for achieving the aforementioned objective includes:

[0007] Fiber stripping frame;

[0008] Two bodies are slidably mounted on the fiber stripping frame, including a coating cutting blade and a cutting blade spaced apart along the extension direction of the optical fiber.

[0009] The drive unit drives the two seats to move towards or relative to each other; and

[0010] A hot melt heating unit is disposed on the base body and is used to heat the base body;

[0011] The two seats can be driven by the driving unit to a clamping position that can hold the optical fiber. At the clamping position, the coating cutting blade cuts into the coating of the optical fiber but does not cut into the core wire. At the same time, the two cutting blades cut the optical fiber at the end of the optical fiber in the extension direction. The hot melt heating unit transfers heat to the coating of the optical fiber through the two seats.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the base includes a coating clamping portion, the coating cutting blade is disposed on the upper side of the coating clamping portion, and the cutting blade is disposed on the lower side of the coating clamping portion;

[0013] The coating clamping part clamps the optical fiber at the clamping position, and the hot melt heating unit transfers heat to the optical fiber coating through the coating clamping part.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the position of the coating cutting edge on the base is adjustable in the direction of approaching or moving away from the optical fiber.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the fiber stripping frame is provided with limiting units corresponding to the two seats respectively, and the limiting units restrict the relative movement of the two seats to each other at the clamping position.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the base includes a mounting groove and limiting edges located on both sides of the mounting groove, and the coating cutting blade is mounted in the mounting groove;

[0017] In the clamping position, the two limiting edges at corresponding positions between the two seats respectively limit the depth of the two coating cutting blades cutting into the fiber optic coating.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the base is provided with a blower air channel, and the surface of the base is provided with blower holes, which are arranged corresponding to the cutting position of the cutting blade.

[0019] The blow-blowing air channel connects the blow-blowing hole and the blow-blowing unit.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the blow hole is also provided at the edge of the coating cut.

[0021] An automatic fiber stripping device for achieving the aforementioned other objective includes a frame, characterized in that the frame is provided with a fiber tail processing assembly as described above, and the frame is further provided with:

[0022] An optical fiber carrier is movable within the frame and has optical fiber clamps mounted thereon;

[0023] A transmission drive assembly drives the optical fiber carrier to move between different workstations on the rack.

[0024] The fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly is located below the fiber optic cable clamp and above the fiber tail processing assembly at the fiber stripping station of the frame.

[0025] A fiber stripper drive unit is connected to the fiber stripper to drive the fiber stripper to move along the extension direction of the optical fiber.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the automatic fiber stripping device further includes:

[0027] The waste collection assembly is mounted on the frame or the fiber stripping frame and located below the two seats.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the fiber stripping and cleaning assembly includes:

[0029] The cleaning tank contains cleaning liquid.

[0030] A cleaning tank lifting drive unit, mounted on the frame, drives the cleaning tank to move along the extension direction of the optical fiber, allowing the optical fiber to be immersed in the cleaning liquid; and

[0031] An ultrasonic cleaning unit performs ultrasonic cleaning on optical fibers immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, the fiber optic cable guiding clamping assembly includes:

[0033] The first clamping unit includes:

[0034] Multiple first teeth; and

[0035] A plurality of first slots and a plurality of first teeth are respectively disposed at different positions along the optical fiber extension direction. For a corresponding first tooth and first slot, the first slot protrudes beyond the first tooth toward the optical fiber extension direction, such that the tip of the first tooth and the bottom of the first slot are aligned along the optical fiber extension direction.

[0036] The second clamping unit is disposed opposite to the first clamping unit and includes a plurality of second slots, which correspond to the plurality of first teeth respectively. For the corresponding first tooth and second slot, the inner contour of the second slot is conformal to and aligned with the outer contour of the first tooth.

[0037] In the clamping state, the tip of the first tooth clamps the optical fiber to the bottom of the second groove.

[0038] This invention also provides a fully automated batch fiber stripping device for fiber optic connectors, comprising a frame, on which a fiber optic carrier is slidably mounted laterally, and a fiber optic clamp is fixedly mounted on the fiber optic carrier. A transmission drive device is provided between the fiber optic carrier and the frame. A fiber optic guiding and clamping device is provided on the frame below the fiber optic clamp. A fiber stripping frame is slidably mounted on the frame below the fiber optic guiding and clamping device. A fiber tail cutting device is provided on the fiber stripping frame. A heat fusion separation device is provided on the fiber stripping frame or on the frame below the fiber tail cutting device. A stripping driver is provided between the fiber stripping frame and the frame.

[0039] As a preferred technical solution, the fiber tail cutting device includes two fiber tail cutting seats that are slidably disposed relative to each other on the fiber stripping frame, each of the two fiber tail cutting seats being fixedly provided with a cutting blade, and each of the two fiber tail cutting seats and the fiber stripping frame being provided with a fiber tail cutting driver.

[0040] As a preferred technical solution, the fiber tail cutting seat is provided with a cutting blade blower corresponding to the cutting blade.

[0041] As a preferred technical solution, the hot melt separation device includes two hot melt separation seats that are slidably disposed relative to each other on the fiber stripping frame. Each of the two hot melt separation seats is fixedly provided with a coating clamping part. Each of the hot melt separation seats is fixedly provided with a coating cutting blade above the coating clamping part. The coating cutting blade is connected to a hot melt heating device. A hot melt separation driver is provided between the two hot melt separation seats and the fiber stripping frame.

[0042] As a preferred technical solution, the hot melt separation seat is provided with a coating cutter blower corresponding to the coating cutting blade.

[0043] As a preferred technical solution, the frame is equipped with a fiber stripping and cleaning device.

[0044] As a preferred technical solution, the conveying drive device includes two conveyor pulleys rotatably mounted on the frame, a double-sided toothed belt is provided between the two conveyor pulleys, and a conveying toothed plate that is constantly meshed with the double-sided toothed belt is provided on the optical fiber carrier, wherein one of the conveyor pulleys is connected to a conveying drive motor.

[0045] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the fully automated fiber optic connector batch stripping device includes a frame, on which a fiber optic carrier is horizontally slidably mounted, and a fiber optic clamp is fixedly mounted on the fiber optic carrier. A transmission drive device is provided between the fiber optic carrier and the frame. A fiber optic guiding and clamping device is provided on the frame below the fiber optic clamp. A stripping frame is vertically slidably mounted on the frame below the fiber optic guiding and clamping device. A fiber tail cutting device is provided on the stripping frame, and a thermal fusion separation device is provided on the stripping frame or on the frame below the fiber tail cutting device. A waste collector is provided on the stripping frame or on the frame below the fiber tail cutting device. A stripping driver is provided between the stripping frame and the frame. After the fiber optic carrier of this invention transmits several fiber optic lines to the fiber optic guiding and clamping device, the fiber optic guiding and clamping device can guide and clamp the fiber optic lines, allowing the fiber optic lines to droop naturally due to the guiding effect and their own weight. The fiber tail cutting device can uniformly cut the bottom end of the optical fiber. Then, the thermal fusion separation device is fixed at a fixed height above the fiber tail cutting device, cuts into and thermally fuses the cladding of the optical fiber, and the stripping driver drives the stripping frame to descend. The cladding of the optical fiber can then be separated at the thermal fusion point and stripped downwards. The stripping length is always the length between the thermal fusion and the cutting, resulting in high stripping accuracy. This invention can perform stripping operations on multiple optical fibers simultaneously, facilitating full automation and reducing manual operation.

[0046] The advantages of this invention include one or a combination of the following:

[0047] By configuring two mounting bodies and placing a cladding cutting blade, a cutting blade 56, and a thermoforming heating unit on each body, the two mounting bodies can clamp the fiber optic cable to be stripped when they move relative to each other, transferring the heat generated by the thermoforming heating unit to the clamped fiber optic cable. Simultaneously, the two cladding cutting blades can cut into the cladding of the fiber optic cable without cutting into the core wire, allowing the softened cladding to be easily peeled off from the core wire. The two cutting blades can cut the fiber optic cable, ensuring that the ends of several fiber optic cables are aligned. This achieves simultaneous clamping, cladding cutting, and fiber tail cutting of the fiber optic cable, providing a foundation for automated fiber stripping. Attached Figure Description

[0048] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0049] Figure 1 A perspective view of one embodiment of the automatic fiber stripping device is shown;

[0050] Figure 2 A three-dimensional enlarged structural schematic diagram of the fiber stripping station of this automatic fiber stripping device is shown;

[0051] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of this fiber optic cable guiding and clamping assembly is shown;

[0052] Figure 4 A perspective view of one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly is shown;

[0053] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly;

[0054] Figure 6 as well as Figure 8 A schematic diagram of two bodies in their initial state under one embodiment is shown;

[0055] Figure 7 as well as Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the movement of the two seats to the clamping position in one embodiment.

[0056] Figure 10 It shows Figure 9 A magnified view of part A;

[0057] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of an optical fiber during or after the fiber stripping operation, according to one implementation method. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The following discloses various implementations or embodiments of the described subject matter. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of the elements and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples within these disclosures. This repetition is for brevity and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various implementations and / or structures to be discussed.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the context of usage, the terms up, down, left, and right in the following description are used for convenience only and do not imply any specific fixed direction. In fact, they are used to reflect the relative position and / or orientation between different parts of an object.

[0060] It should be noted that these and other accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and are not drawn to scale, nor should they be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, variations in different embodiments can be appropriately combined.

[0061] To address at least one of the problems existing in the background art, the present invention provides an automatic fiber stripping device, which may be referred to as a "fully automated fiber optic connector batch fiber stripping device," and in the embodiments described below, it includes a device capable of performing batch fiber stripping.

[0062] like Figure 1 A perspective view of one embodiment of the automatic fiber stripping device is shown. It is understood that the fiber optic cable referred to herein refers to the cable of a fiber optic patch cord before the connector (ceramic ferrule) is connected, including the fiber optic core and the protective layer covering the fiber optic core.

[0063] The automatic fiber stripping device includes a frame 1. Conventionally, the frame 1 is a combination of aluminum profiles and plates, and its structure is well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here, nor is it fully shown in the figure.

[0064] A fiber optic carrier 2 is mounted on a rack 1. The fiber optic carrier 2 is movable within the rack 1, such as being able to slide laterally along the rack 1 as shown in the figure. A fiber optic clamp 22 is fixedly mounted on the fiber optic carrier 2. The fiber optic cable 23 to be stripped is placed on the fiber optic carrier 2. In the embodiment shown in the figure, a fiber optic placement basket 21 is provided on the fiber optic carrier 2, and the fiber optic cable is carried and placed in the fiber optic placement basket 21. The fiber optic clamp 22 fixed to the fiber optic carrier 2 can initially fix the end of the fiber optic cable 23 that needs to be stripped. If the fiber optic clamp 22 consists of two plates arranging and clamping several fiber optic cables, the clamping and fixing of the fiber optic cable by the fiber optic clamp 22 can be achieved using conventional fixing devices in the art, which are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described further here.

[0065] A transmission drive assembly 3 (transmission drive device) is disposed between the fiber optic carrier 2 and the rack 1, and it can drive the fiber optic carrier 2 to move on the rack 1. The rack 1 has multiple different workstations, such as the fiber stripping station and cleaning station described in detail later. When the fiber optic carrier 2 is driven by the transmission drive assembly 3, it can move from one workstation to another on the rack. Specifically, the transmission drive assembly 3 includes two rotatably mounted conveyor pulleys 31 on the rack 1, with a double-sided toothed belt 32 between the two pulleys 31. The fiber optic carrier 2 has a transmission toothed plate 34 that can mesh with the double-sided toothed belt 32. One of the pulleys 31 is connected to a transmission drive motor 33. After the transmission drive motor 33 drives the double-sided toothed belt 32 to move, due to the meshing action, the transmission toothed plate 34 causes the fiber optic carrier 2 to undergo lateral displacement, thus achieving transmission drive. Meanwhile, in the part not shown in the figure, one of the rack 1 and the fiber optic carrier 2 has a slide rail, and the other has a slide groove. The fiber optic carrier 2 and the rack 1 are connected by the slide rail and the slide groove to achieve a sliding fit connection.

[0066] Figure 2This diagram shows a three-dimensional enlarged view of the fiber stripping station of the automatic fiber stripping device. A fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly (fiber optic cable guide clamping device) 4 is also installed on the frame 1. The location of the fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly 4 is the fiber stripping station of the frame 1. At the fiber stripping station of the frame 1, the fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly 4 is positioned below the fiber optic cable clamp 22. When the transmission drive assembly 3 drives the fiber optic cable carrier 2 to the fiber stripping station, the fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly 4 guides and fixes the fiber optic cable 23 clamped on the fiber optic cable clamp 22, allowing the fiber optic cable 23 to hang freely due to guidance and its own weight. The direction in which the fiber optic cable hangs freely due to guidance and its own weight is the fiber optic cable extension direction a. After being clamped by the fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly 4, the hanging fiber optic cable 23 forms a shorter section below the fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly 4, easily forming a straight vertical state. This ensures the stability and accuracy of subsequent fiber stripping operations.

[0067] The specific structure of the fiber optic guide clamping assembly 4 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the fiber optic clamping assembly 4 includes a first clamping unit 41 and a second clamping unit 42. The first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 can move relative to each other and approach each other until they move to a clamping position that can clamp the fiber optic cable to be clamped.

[0068] The first clamping unit 41 has multiple first slots 410 and multiple first teeth 411 as shown in the figure. The first teeth 411 and the first slots 410 are respectively arranged at different positions on the fiber extension direction a. That is, the first teeth 411 and the first slots 410 are staggered along the fiber extension direction a. They can be arranged adjacent to each other as shown in the figure, or they can be arranged apart from each other by a certain distance, which is different from the figure shown.

[0069] Multiple first teeth 411 and multiple first grooves 410 are respectively arranged along the length direction b of the first clamping unit 41, and the first grooves 410 protrude from the first teeth 411 towards the fiber optic line position, as shown in the figure. The fiber optic line position refers to the location of the multiple fiber optic lines to be clamped. The tooth tips of the first teeth 411 and the groove bottoms of the first grooves 410 are aligned in the fiber optic line extension direction a, that is, in the orthographic projection obtained from a top-down angle along the clamping unit as shown in the figure, the tooth tips of the first teeth 411 and the groove bottoms of the first grooves 410 are opposite each other. Since the fiber optic lines to be clamped are drooping along the fiber optic line extension direction a, this arrangement ensures that the fiber optic line at the bottom of the first groove 410 is also located at the tooth tip of the first tooth 411.

[0070] The second clamping unit 42 is arranged opposite to the first clamping unit 41 as shown in the figure. It includes a plurality of second grooves 420, which are respectively arranged with a plurality of first teeth 411. For the corresponding first teeth 411 and second grooves, the inner contour of the second groove 420 is conformal and aligned with the outer contour of the first tooth 411 as shown in the figure, so that in the clamping state, the second groove 420 can cooperate with the first tooth 411 to clamp the optical fiber, that is, the tooth tip of the first tooth 411 can clamp the optical fiber to the bottom of the second groove 420.

[0071] During the clamping process, multiple optical fibers to be clamped are suspended, and the first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 move relative to each other. Ideally, the multiple optical fibers to be clamped hang down in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the position of the optical fibers is exactly in the middle between the top of the first tooth 411 and the bottom of the second groove 420. At the same time, the first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 move relative to each other at the same uniform speed. In this state, the two clamping units can clamp the optical fibers one by one at the position of the optical fibers, and the clamping position of the optical fibers is between the top of the first tooth 411 and the bottom of the second groove 420.

[0072] However, in actual working conditions, although the optical fiber to be clamped is generally suspended, due to its flexible nature, it may undergo slight deformation or bending, causing it to warp towards the first clamping unit 41 or the second clamping unit 42. Alternatively, the suspended position of the optical fiber may be slightly closer to the first clamping unit 41 or the second clamping unit 42. In either of these actual working conditions, when the first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 move relative to each other, the first clamping unit 41 may contact the optical fiber to be clamped before the second clamping unit 42. In this case, if the first clamping unit 41 does not have a first groove 410, the optical fiber may slide along the tooth wall of the first tooth 411, resulting in the optical fiber being clamped between the tooth wall of the first tooth 411 and the groove wall of the second groove 420. By providing a first groove 410 in the first clamping unit 41, when the optical fiber to be clamped is relatively closer to the first clamping unit 41, the first clamping unit 41 will first contact the optical fiber. At this time, the first groove 410 will first enclose the optical fiber to be clamped, and as it gradually approaches the second clamping unit 42, it will guide the optical fiber, causing the optical fiber to gradually fall into the bottom of the first groove 410, which is also located at the top of the first tooth 411. Thus, in the clamping state, the top of the first tooth 411 clamps the optical fiber to the bottom of the second groove 420. Similarly, if the optical fiber to be clamped is relatively closer to the second clamping unit 42, the second clamping unit 42 will contact the optical fiber first. At this time, the second groove 20 will first enclose the optical fiber to be clamped, and as it gradually approaches the second clamping unit 41, it will guide the optical fiber, causing the optical fiber to gradually fall into the bottom of the second groove 420. Thus, in the clamping state, the tooth tip of the first tooth 411 will still clamp the optical fiber to the bottom of the second groove 420.

[0073] As before, regardless of whether the optical fiber to be clamped is closer to the first clamping unit 41 or the second clamping unit 42, or both are in contact with the optical fiber, it can be ensured that the optical fiber is clamped between the top of the first tooth 411 and the bottom of the second groove 420 in the clamping state, and the optical fiber will not fall into the space between the tooth wall of the first tooth 411 and the second groove 420, so that the optical fiber can be clamped in the desired position, which is convenient for further processing of the optical fiber in subsequent processes.

[0074] The first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 can be driven by the cylinder 45 shown in the figure to move relative to each other or towards each other. Specifically, the first clamping unit 41 and the second clamping unit 42 can also be slidably mounted on a frame and driven to slide by the cylinder 45, which will not be described in detail here.

[0075] The rack 1 is also equipped with a fiber tail processing assembly, which is used to perform coating stripping, clamping, and cutting processes on the fiber tail of the optical fiber. The fiber tail refers to the section of the optical fiber that needs to be stripped. Figure 4 A perspective view of one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly is shown. Figure 5 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly. Figure 6 as well as Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the fiber tail processing assembly in its initial state according to one embodiment is shown. Figure 7 as well as Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the position of the fiber optic cable clamped by the fiber tail processing assembly in one embodiment. Figure 10 It shows Figure 9 Enlarged diagram of part A, Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of an optical fiber during or after the fiber stripping operation, according to one implementation method.

[0076] The fiber tail processing assembly includes a fiber stripper 5, a fiber tail cutting device 6 mounted on the fiber stripper 5, and a thermal fusion separation device 7. The fiber tail cutting device 6 is used to uniformly cut the bottom ends of several fiber optic cables 23 after the fiber guide clamping device 4 has guided and clamped them. The fiber tail cutting device 6 includes two fiber tail cutting seats 61 that slide relative to each other on the fiber stripper 5. Cutting blades 63 are fixedly mounted on each of the two fiber tail cutting seats 61, and fiber tail cutting drivers 62 are respectively provided between the two fiber tail cutting seats 61 and the fiber stripper 5. When the fiber tail cutting drivers 62 drive the two fiber tail cutting seats 61 to move closer together, the shearing force of the two cutting blades 63 can cut the bottom ends of several fiber optic cables 23. After cutting, the lengths of the several fiber optic cables 23 below the fiber guide clamping device 4 are equal.

[0077] The thermal fusion separation device 7 is used to thermally fuse the upper end of the coating to be stripped from the optical fiber 23. The thermal fusion separation device 7 includes two thermal fusion separation seats 70 that are slidably disposed relative to each other on the fiber stripping frame 5. A coating clamping part 71 is fixedly provided on each of the two thermal fusion separation seats 70, and a coating cutting blade 72 is fixedly provided on each thermal fusion separation seat 70 above the coating clamping part 71. Thermal fusion separation drivers are respectively provided between the two thermal fusion separation seats 70 and the fiber stripping frame 5. The thermal fusion heating device also includes a thermal fusion heating unit (thermal fusion heating rod) 74 disposed on the thermal fusion separation seat 70. The heat generated by the thermal fusion heating unit 74 is mainly transferred to the coating cutting blade 72 through thermal conduction.

[0078] When the thermofusion separation driver drives the two thermofusion separation seats 70 to approach each other, the two cladding cutting blades 72 can cut into the cladding of the optical fiber 23 respectively, but not into the core wire. The thermofusion heating unit 74 transfers heat to the optical fiber 23 through the cladding cutting blades 72. Under the action of high temperature, the optical fiber cladding softens and melts, and the cladding at the cutting point of the cladding cutting blades 72 can be easily separated. The two cladding clamping parts 71 can clamp the cladding below the cutting point, such as... Figure 11 As shown, when the peeling driver 51 drives the fiber stripping frame 5 to descend, the clamping force of the coating clamping part 71 can tear open the cutting point of the coating cutting blade 72 and peel off the coating. Wherein, Figure 11 The diagram shown is a schematic of the fiber stripping frame descending or descending, which can be represented as a schematic of the stripping process or the completion of the stripping process after the coating has been stripped off the optical fiber.

[0079] Specifically, the cladding cutting edge 72 is located on the upper part of the cladding clamping part 71, and the cutting edge 63 is located on the lower part of the cladding clamping part 71. The thermofusion heating unit 74 also transfers heat to the optical fiber cladding through the cladding clamping part 71. It can be understood that the thermofusion heating unit 74 can directly transfer heat to the optical fiber cladding through the cladding clamping part 71. At the same time, since the heat transfer to the optical fiber cladding also has thermal conductivity, it can be understood that the thermofusion heating unit 74 transfers heat to the optical fiber 23 through the cladding cutting edge 72.

[0080] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, since cutting and hot-melt bonding can be performed simultaneously, the fiber tail cutting seat 61 in the fiber tail cutting device 6 and the hot-melt bonding seat 70 in the hot-melt bonding device 7 can be an integral part, collectively referred to as a seat of this automatic fiber stripping device. That is, two slidable seats are equivalently provided on the fiber stripping frame 5. At the same time, the fiber tail cutting driver 62 and the hot-melt bonding driver can also be the same component, and the fiber tail cutting driver 62 can also serve as the hot-melt bonding driver, referred to as the driving unit in this automatic fiber stripping device. In this embodiment, the coating cutting blade 72 and the cutting blade 63 are respectively arranged sequentially and spaced apart on the seat along the fiber extension direction a. Each seat in the following text can refer to the combination of the fiber tail cutting seat 61 and the hot-melt bonding seat 70, while the driving unit refers to the fiber tail cutting driver 62 and the hot-melt bonding driver.

[0081] By setting up two mounting bodies and respectively placing a coating cutting blade 72, a cutting blade 63, and a thermoforming heating unit 74 on the two bodies, the two mounting bodies can clamp the fiber optic cable to be stripped when they move relative to each other. The heat generated by the thermoforming heating unit 74 is transferred to the clamped fiber optic cable through the coating cutting blade 72. At the same time, the two coating cutting blades 72 can cut into the coating of the fiber optic cable but not into the core wire, so that the softened coating can be easily peeled off from the core wire. The two cutting blades 63 can cut the fiber optic cable to make the ends of several fiber optic cables flush. Thus, the clamping, coating cutting, and fiber tail cutting of the fiber optic cable are performed simultaneously, providing a foundation for automated fiber stripping.

[0082] This automatic fiber stripping device also includes a fiber stripping frame drive unit (stripping driver) 51, which is disposed between the fiber stripping frame 5 and the frame 1, and can drive the fiber stripping frame 5 to move along the fiber extension direction a. This enables the fiber stripping frame 5 and the two supports disposed on the fiber stripping frame to be lifted or lowered together along the fiber extension direction a.

[0083] When the two drive units drive the two seats to move relative to each other to the point where... Figure 7 When the clamping position is shown, the thermal fusion heating unit 74 effectively fused the fiber optic cladding, while the two cladding cutting blades 72 cut into the fiber optic cladding. At this time, the fiber stripping frame drive unit 51 drives the fiber stripping frame 5 to move downwards as a whole. The clamping force of the cladding clamping part 71 can tear the cutting points of the two cladding cutting blades 72, causing this section of cladding to detach from the core of the fiber optic cable 23. Because the relative height positions of the cladding cutting blade 55 and the cutting blade 56 on the base 52 are relatively fixed, the height difference between the cutting point of the cladding cutting blade 55 and the cutting point of the cutting blade 56 remains unchanged. Therefore, the length of the cladding stripped after thermal fusion is also consistent, resulting in high fiber stripping accuracy.

[0084] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the hot melt heating unit 54 is an electric heating rod, and the heat generated by it is mainly transferred to the clamped optical fiber through thermal conduction.

[0085] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the two coating cutting blades 72 in the fiber tail processing assembly are adjustable in orientation towards or away from the optical fiber to be clamped. For optical fibers, the coating encasing the inner core may sometimes have different thicknesses due to manufacturing errors, resulting in optical fibers with different diameters. Over-clamping of larger diameter optical fibers may damage or even break the coating. By making the two coating cutting blades 72 adjustable on the base, it is possible to prevent excessive cutting of the fiber coating by the two cutting blades 72, thus preventing damage to the optical fiber core. Specifically, the adjustable setting of the two coating cutting blades 72 can be achieved as follows: for example, the base can be provided with elongated holes, and the coating cutting blades 72 are fixedly connected to the base through the elongated holes and fasteners. The position of the fasteners in the elongated holes is adjusted to achieve the adjustability of the coating cutting blades 72.

[0086] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, in the portion not shown in the figures, limiting units, such as boss structures, are also provided on the fiber stripping frame 51 for each of the two seats. These limiting units, as shown in the figures... Figure 7 The clamping position shown restricts the relative movement of the two bodies, ensuring that one of the bodies does not move too far toward the other, thus preventing the optical fiber to be clamped from being held in the designated position. The structure of the limiting unit is similar to existing limiting structures and will not be described in detail here.

[0087] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the fiber tail cutting seat 61 includes a mounting groove 610 and limiting edges 611 disposed on both sides of the mounting groove 610, and the coating cutting blade 72 is mounted in the mounting groove 610. Wherein, in... Figure 7 As shown in the clamping position, the two limiting edges 611 at corresponding positions between the two fiber tail cutting seats 61 respectively limit the depth of the two coating cutting blades 72 cutting into the fiber coating, further preventing the two coating cutting blades 72 from over-cutting the fiber coating and damaging the core wire.

[0088] like Figure 10 As shown, in one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the fiber tail cutting seat 61 is equipped with a cutting blade blower corresponding to the cutting blade 63. The cutting blade blower is used to powerfully blow air onto the cutting blade 63 after cutting, removing any waste material that may be adhering to it and preventing it from affecting the next cut. The cutting blade blower includes a blower air channel 64 opened in the fiber tail cutting seat 61, and the fiber tail cutting seat 61 is provided with several blow holes 65 that communicate with the blower air channel 64 and correspond one-to-one with the cutting points of the cutting blade 63. Of course, the blower air channel 64 is connected to a control valve and a fan or air compressor, etc., which are common and well-known technologies and will not be described further here or shown in the figure.

[0089] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the blow hole 65 is also provided at the coating cutting edge 72, so that the blow unit can blow powerfully toward the coating cutting edge 72 to blow away any waste materials that may be stuck.

[0090] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the air blowing channel 64 of the cutting blade blower can also serve as the air blowing channel 64 of the coating cutter blower. The coating cutter blower directly draws its blow holes 65 from the air blowing channel 64 of the cutting blade blower toward the coating cutting edge 72. A single blowing unit can be used to blow air onto both the coating cutting edge 72 and the cutting edge 63 simultaneously, or two blowing units can be used, such as a coating cutter blower for the coating cutting edge 72 and a cutting blade blower for the cutting edge 63, each controlled separately.

[0091] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the device further includes a waste collection component (waste collector) 52. The waste collection component 52 is mounted on the frame 1 or the fiber stripping frame 51, corresponding to the clamping positions of the two mounting bodies, and is positioned below the two mounting bodies in height. As shown in the figure, the waste collection component 52 can have a box-like structure with internal space for collecting waste. Waste cut by the cutting blade 63 and waste stripped from the two mounting bodies can fall into the waste collection component 52 under its own weight for collection. The waste collection component 52 only needs to be located directly below the material dropping positions of the fiber tail cutting device 6 and the hot melt separation device 7.

[0092] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, such as Figure 1As shown, a fiber stripping and cleaning assembly (fiber stripping and cleaning device) 8 is also installed on the rack 1. The location of the fiber stripping and cleaning assembly 8 is the cleaning station on the rack 1. The fiber stripping and cleaning assembly 8 includes a cleaning tank 81, a cleaning tank lifting drive unit (cleaning tank lifting driver) 82, and an ultrasonic cleaning unit (ultrasonic transducer). The cleaning tank 81 contains cleaning liquid. The cleaning tank lifting drive unit 82 is located on the rack 1 and can drive the cleaning tank 81 to move along the fiber extension direction a, thereby raising or lowering it in the fiber extension direction a. After fiber stripping, the stripped core wire may inevitably have some residual grease, which can be cleaned by the fiber stripping and cleaning assembly 8. Specifically, after fiber stripping, the transmission drive assembly 3 drives the fiber carrier 2 to the cleaning station. The cleaning tank lifting drive unit 82 drives the cleaning tank 81 to rise, and the core wire portion of the fiber optic cable 23 with the stripped coating is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 81. The ultrasonic cleaning is then activated to complete the cleaning operation. After cleaning is completed, the ultrasonic waves are turned off, and the cleaning tank lifting drive unit 82 drives the cleaning tank 81 to descend. The transmission drive assembly 3 can then continue to transport the fiber optic carrier 2. The configuration of the cleaning tank 81, the cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic cleaning unit is easily derived by those skilled in the art based on the structural principles of existing ultrasonic cleaning machines, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0093] In one embodiment of this automatic fiber stripping device, the fiber optic clamps 22 in the fiber optic carrier 2 are arranged symmetrically as shown in the figure, so that two stripping stations and two cleaning stations are correspondingly set on the frame 1. In this way, the fiber optic clamps 22 can complete the stripping and cleaning of more fiber optic cables 23 in one transport, further improving the stripping efficiency.

[0094] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, a first heat insulation unit 58 is provided between the drive unit and the base to prevent the heat generated by the base from affecting the drive unit.

[0095] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, the fiber stripping frame 5 is provided with a slide rail 510 and a slider 511, and the seat is connected to the slider 511, thereby enabling the seat to slide along the slide rail 510 on the fiber stripping frame 5. A second heat insulation unit 512 is provided between the seat 5 and the slider 511, also to prevent the heat generated by the seat from affecting the slider 511 or the slide rail 511.

[0096] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, the coating cutting blade 72 is a V-shaped blade as shown in the figure to facilitate cutting into the fiber optic coating, and the cutting blade 63 is a flat blade to facilitate cutting the end of the fiber optic cable.

[0097] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, one of the two bodies has a protrusion 524, and the corresponding position of the other body has a groove, which can be guided when the groove and the protrusion 524 are close to each other between the two bodies.

[0098] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, the drive unit is a cylinder.

[0099] In one embodiment of the fiber tail processing assembly, a temperature control unit (temperature controller) 75 is provided in the base, which is connected to the hot melt heating unit 74 to detect the temperature at which the hot melt heating unit 74 heats the base.

[0100] In this embodiment, the fiber optic cable 23 to be stripped is placed in the fiber placement basket 21 on the fiber optic carrier 2, and the end to be stripped is initially fixed by the fiber optic clamp 22. The length of the fiber optic cable 23 extending downward from the fiber optic clamp 22 should preferably be greater than the distance from the cutting blade 63 to the lower end of the fiber optic clamp 22. The transmission drive device 3 drives the fiber optic carrier 2 to the stripping station, and the fiber optic cables 23 initially fixed on the fiber optic clamp 22 reach the fiber optic guide clamping device 4, which guides and clamps the fiber optic cables 23. After guidance and clamping, the lower end of the fiber optic cable 23 can easily form a straight vertical state. The fiber tail cutting driver 62 drives the two fiber tail cutting seats 61 to move closer to each other, and the two cutting blades 63 first uniformly cut the bottom ends of the fiber optic cables 23, and the cut waste automatically falls into the waste collector 52. Then, the two coating clamping parts 71 clamp the coating portion to be peeled, and simultaneously, the corresponding coating cutting blade 72 cuts into the upper end of the coating to be peeled. After the fiber optic coating is effectively heat-fused, the peeling driver 51 drives the fiber stripping frame 5 to move downwards as a whole. The clamping force of the coating clamping parts 71 can tear the cutting point and peel the coating from the core wire. Because the coating cutting blade 72 and the cutting blade 63 are relatively fixed, the height difference between the cutting point of the coating cutting blade 72 and the cutting point of the cutting blade 63 remains unchanged, and the length of the coating peeled off after heat fusion is also consistent, resulting in high fiber stripping accuracy. After the coating is completely detached from the core wire, the fiber tail cutting driver 62 drives the two fiber tail cutting seats 61 to move away from each other, and the peeled coating loses its clamping effect and falls freely into the waste collector 52. The peeling driver 51 drives the fiber stripping frame 5 to return to its original position, and the fiber guide clamping device 4 releases its guiding clamping effect. At this time, the optical fiber 23 on the optical fiber clamp 22 is not subject to external force, and the transmission drive device 3 drives the optical fiber carrier 2 to the cleaning station. The fiber stripping and cleaning device 8 can effectively clean the stripped core wire part.

[0101] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any variations and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the invention, fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic fiber stripping device, comprising a frame, characterized in that, The frame is also equipped with: The fiber optic carrier is movable within the frame and is equipped with fiber optic clamps for holding and fixing the fiber optic cable, which hangs freely due to guidance and its own weight. A transmission drive assembly drives the optical fiber carrier to move between different workstations on the rack. The fiber tail processing assembly includes a fiber stripping frame, two seats, a drive unit, and a thermofusion heating unit. The two seats are slidably mounted on the fiber stripping frame and include a coating cutting blade and a cutting blade spaced apart along the fiber extension direction. The drive unit drives the two seats to move towards each other or relative to each other. The thermofusion heating unit is mounted on the seats and is used to heat the seats. The two seats can be driven by the drive unit to a clamping position that can hold the fiber. In the clamping position, the coating cutting blade cuts into the coating of the fiber but does not cut into the core wire. At the same time, the two cutting blades cut the fiber at the end in the fiber extension direction. The thermofusion heating unit transfers heat to the fiber coating through the two seats. The fiber optic cable guide clamping assembly is located below the fiber optic cable clamp and above the fiber tail processing assembly at the fiber stripping station of the frame. A fiber stripper drive unit is connected to the fiber stripper in a transmission manner to drive the fiber stripper to move along the extension direction of the optical fiber line; The fiber optic cable guiding and clamping assembly includes: The first clamping unit includes: Multiple first teeth; and A plurality of first slots and a plurality of first teeth are respectively disposed at different positions along the optical fiber extension direction. For a corresponding first tooth and first slot, the first slot protrudes beyond the first tooth toward the optical fiber extension direction, such that the tip of the first tooth and the bottom of the first slot are aligned along the optical fiber extension direction. The second clamping unit is disposed opposite to the first clamping unit and includes a plurality of second slots, which correspond to the plurality of first teeth respectively. For the corresponding first tooth and second slot, the inner contour of the second slot is conformal to and aligned with the outer contour of the first tooth. In the clamping state, the tip of the first tooth clamps the optical fiber to the bottom of the second groove.

2. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The waste collection assembly is mounted on the frame or the fiber stripping frame and located below the two seats.

3. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is also equipped with a fiber stripping and cleaning assembly at the cleaning station, the fiber stripping and cleaning assembly comprising: The cleaning tank contains cleaning liquid. A cleaning tank lifting drive unit, mounted on the frame, drives the cleaning tank to move along the extension direction of the optical fiber, allowing the optical fiber to be immersed in the cleaning liquid; and An ultrasonic cleaning unit performs ultrasonic cleaning on optical fibers immersed in the cleaning liquid.

4. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base includes a coating clamping part, the coating cutting blade is disposed on the upper side of the coating clamping part, and the cutting blade is disposed on the lower side of the coating clamping part; The coating clamping part clamps the optical fiber at the clamping position, and the hot melt heating unit transfers heat to the optical fiber coating through the coating clamping part.

5. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The position of the coating cutting blade on the base is adjustable, either towards or away from the optical fiber.

6. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber stripping frame is provided with limiting units corresponding to the two seats respectively, and the limiting units restrict the relative movement of the two seats at the clamping position.

7. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base includes a mounting groove and limiting edges located on both sides of the mounting groove, and the coating cutting blade is installed in the mounting groove; In the clamping position, the two limiting edges at corresponding positions between the two seats respectively limit the depth of the two coating cutting blades cutting into the fiber optic coating.

8. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base has a blower air channel, and the surface of the base has blower holes, which are set corresponding to the cutting point of the cutting blade. The blow-blowing air channel connects the blow-blowing hole and the blow-blowing unit.

9. The automatic fiber stripping device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The blow hole is also provided at the edge of the coating cutting tool.

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