A negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries

Abstract

The present invention provides a negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries, which comprises: a glue storage tank for placing sealant; a pushing device for pushing the sealant into the optical fiber capillary. The optical fiber capillary is provided with a first pipe orifice and a second pipe orifice, and the first pipe orifice communicates with the second pipe orifice. One end of the glue storage tank is connected to the pushing device, and the other end is connected to the first pipe orifice of the optical fiber capillary; a vacuum device is connected to the second pipe orifice; wherein, the vacuum device is used to discharge the air in the optical fiber capillary into the vacuum device, so that the sealant moves towards the second pipe orifice and fills the optical fiber capillary. The negative pressure device in this application is installed at both ends of the optical fiber capillary. By using the vacuum method, the sealant moves from the first pipe orifice to the second pipe orifice and fills the optical fiber capillary, avoiding air bubbles entering the optical fiber capillary during gluing under normal pressure and also improving the light conduction performance of the optical fiber capillary.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of negative pressure devices, and particularly to a negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries. Background Art

[0002] Optical fiber capillaries are used in optical high-speed analog devices, optical fiber collimators, pigtail assemblies, cable television networks, and interfaces for alignment and collimation of optical active and passive devices, DWFM, and optoelectronic equipment that require conversion and connection. They achieve optical conduction by utilizing the principle of total internal reflection of light in glass or plastic fibers. In traditional optical fiber gluing methods, in order to encapsulate the optical fiber in the capillary, the colloid is usually manually injected into the capillary to fix the optical fiber in the capillary. However, due to differences in the operating environment and operating techniques, the colloid will inevitably enclose some air bubbles and remain in the optical fiber capillary. Air bubbles will appear in the glued optical fiber capillary, and the presence of air bubbles seriously affects the optical conduction performance of the optical fiber capillary. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries to solve the problem that air bubbles are easily generated during the gluing of optical fiber capillaries.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries, which includes a glue storage tank, a pushing device, and a vacuum device.

[0005] The glue storage tank is used to place the sealant. The pushing device is used to push the sealant into the optical fiber capillary. The optical fiber capillary is provided with a first pipe orifice and a second pipe orifice, and the first pipe orifice and the second pipe orifice are communicated. One end of the glue storage tank is connected to the pushing device, and the other end is connected to the first pipe orifice of the optical fiber capillary. The vacuum device is connected to the second pipe orifice.

[0006] Among them, the vacuum device is used to evacuate the air in the optical fiber capillary into the vacuum device, so that the sealant moves towards the second pipe orifice and fills the optical fiber capillary.

[0007] Further, the first pipe orifice is set as a tapered hole. The end with a larger cross-section of the tapered hole faces the glue storage tank, and the end with a smaller cross-section of the tapered hole faces the second pipe orifice, and the cross-section of the first pipe orifice is larger than the cross-section of the second pipe orifice.

[0008] Further, the vacuum device includes a buffer assembly and a driving assembly, and the buffer assembly is connected to the driving assembly.

[0009] Further, the buffer assembly includes a buffer pipe, a buffer tank, and a first valve. One end of the buffer pipe close to the optical fiber capillary is connected to the second pipe orifice, and the first valve is connected to the bottom of the buffer pipe and connected to the buffer tank. The buffer pipe is made of a transparent material.

[0010] Further, the driving assembly includes an air pipe and a driver. One end of the air pipe is connected to the buffer pipe, and the other end is connected to the driver; the driver is used to extract air and discharge it outside the negative pressure device.

[0011] Further, the driving assembly further includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is on the side wall of the buffer pipe and is located higher than the second pipe orifice, and the controller is electrically connected to the sensor.

[0012] Further, the pushing device further includes a glue injection pipe. One end of the glue injection pipe is connected to the first pipe orifice, and the other end is connected to a glue storage tank. The glue injection pipe is made of a transparent material.

[0013] Further, a second valve is provided between the glue injection pipe and the glue storage tank for controlling the sealing glue to enter the glue injection pipe.

[0014] Further, the pushing device includes a piston and a piston rod. The piston is connected to the piston rod; the piston has a built-in glue storage tank or an external glue storage tank.

[0015] Further, the glue storage tank is made of a transparent material.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the negative pressure device for optical fiber capillary gluing provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] A negative pressure device for optical fiber capillary gluing includes a glue storage tank, a pushing device, and a vacuum device. The glue storage tank is used to store sealing glue; the pushing device is used to push the sealing glue into the optical fiber capillary. The optical fiber capillary is provided with a first pipe orifice and a second pipe orifice, and the first pipe orifice and the second pipe orifice are communicated. One end of the glue storage tank is connected to the pushing device, and the other end is connected to the first pipe orifice of the optical fiber capillary; the vacuum device is connected to the second pipe orifice; wherein, the vacuum device is used to discharge the air in the optical fiber capillary into the vacuum device, so that the sealing glue moves towards the second pipe orifice and fills the optical fiber capillary. The negative pressure device in this application is installed at both ends of the optical fiber capillary. When the optical fiber is placed in the optical fiber capillary, the vacuum method is used to make the sealing glue move from the first pipe orifice to the second pipe orifice and fill the optical fiber capillary. It is basically not affected by the external environment, avoiding the situation that air bubbles enter the optical fiber capillary during gluing under normal pressure, improving the quality of optical fiber capillary gluing, having high glue injection accuracy, and also improving the optical conductivity of the optical fiber capillary. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a negative pressure device for optical fiber capillary gluing according to the first embodiment provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a negative pressure device for optical fiber capillary gluing according to the second embodiment provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3This is a schematic structural diagram of a negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary tube according to the third embodiment provided by the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0022] 100, glue storage tank;

[0023] 110, sealant;

[0024] 200, pushing device;

[0025] 210, glue injection tube; 220, piston; 230, piston rod; 240, conical sleeve;

[0026] 300, vacuum device;

[0027] 310, buffer assembly; 320, drive assembly;

[0028] 311, buffer tube; 312, buffer tank; 313, first valve; 321, inductor; 322, air pipe; 323, driver; 324, controller;

[0029] 400, optical fiber capillary tube;

[0030] 410, first pipe orifice; 420, second pipe orifice; 430, conical hole; 440, optical fiber;

[0031] 500, second valve. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may also be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are only for the purpose of illustration.

[0034] Optical fiber capillaries are used in optical high-speed analog devices, optical fiber collimators, pigtail assemblies, cable TV networks, and the alignment and collimation of optical active and passive devices, DWFM, and the interface components that require conversion and connection in optoelectronic devices. They achieve optical conduction by utilizing the principle of total internal reflection of light in glass or plastic fibers. To encapsulate the optical fiber in the capillary, in the traditional optical fiber glue injection method, glue is usually manually injected into the capillary to fix the optical fiber in the capillary. However, due to differences in the operating environment and operating techniques, the colloid will inevitably wrap some air bubbles and remain in the optical fiber capillary. Air bubbles will appear in the optical fiber capillary after glue injection, and the presence of air bubbles seriously affects the optical conduction performance of the optical fiber capillary.

[0035] In view of this, the present invention provides a negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary, which solves the problem that air bubbles are easily generated when applying glue to the optical fiber capillary.

[0036] Please refer to Figures 1 - 3 , the present invention provides a negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary, which includes a glue storage tank 100, a pushing device 200, and a vacuum device 300.

[0037] The glue storage tank 100 is used to place the sealant 110. Further, a glue injection hole can be provided at the upper end of the glue storage tank 100 for injecting the sealant 110 into the glue storage tank 100. When the amount of the sealant 110 in the glue storage tank 100 is too small, it can be added through the glue injection hole. Moreover, the sealant 110 can be subjected to degassing treatment or heating treatment before injection, which can reduce the air bubble generation rate.

[0038] The pushing device 200 is used to push the sealant 110 into the optical fiber capillary 400. The optical fiber capillary 400 is provided with a first pipe orifice 410 and a second pipe orifice 420, and the first pipe orifice 410 and the second pipe orifice 420 are communicated. One end of the glue storage tank 100 is connected to the pushing device 200, and the other end of the glue storage tank 100 is connected to the first pipe orifice 410 of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0039] The vacuum device 300 is connected to the second pipe orifice 420 and can be any component that makes the inner cavity of the optical fiber capillary 400 form a vacuum state.

[0040] Among them, the vacuum device 300 is used to exhaust the air in the optical fiber capillary 400 into the vacuum device 300, so that the sealant 110 moves in the direction of the second pipe orifice 420 and fills the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0041] In this design, a negative pressure device is installed at both ends of the optical fiber capillary 400. When the optical fiber 440 is placed inside the optical fiber capillary, the vacuum method is used to move the sealant 110 from the first pipe orifice 410 to the second pipe orifice 420 and fill the optical fiber capillary 400. It is basically not interfered by the external environment, avoiding the situation that air bubbles enter the optical fiber capillary 400 when applying tape under normal pressure, improving the quality of applying glue to the optical fiber capillary 400, and also improving the light conduction performance of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0042] To facilitate the injection of the sealant 110 into the optical fiber capillary, the first pipe orifice 410 can be set as a tapered hole 430. The end with a larger cross-section of the tapered hole 430 faces the glue storage tank 100, and the end with a smaller cross-section of the tapered hole 430 faces the second pipe orifice 420, and the cross-section of the first pipe orifice 410 is larger than that of the second pipe orifice 420.

[0043] By using the tapered hole 430 and the cross-section of the first pipe orifice 410 being larger than that of the second pipe orifice 420, when injecting glue, the sealant 110 in the glue storage tank 100 can quickly enter the optical fiber capillary 400, flow from the first pipe orifice 410 to the second pipe orifice 420, and quickly fill the optical fiber capillary 400, improving the glue injection efficiency of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0044] Specifically, the vacuum device 300 includes a buffer assembly 310 and a driving assembly 320, and the buffer assembly 310 is connected to the driving assembly 320. After the sealant 110 comes out of the second pipe orifice 420, the buffer assembly 310 can store the overflowing sealant 110, so that the second pipe orifice 420 of the optical fiber capillary 400 can be filled with the sealant 110, improving the quality of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0045] In order to avoid poor filling effect caused by the uneven inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400 when filling the sealant 110, and to facilitate the observation of the injection progress. The buffer assembly 310 may further include a buffer tube 311, a buffer tank 312 and a first valve 313. One end of the buffer tube 311 close to the optical fiber capillary 400 is connected to the second pipe orifice 420, and the other end of the buffer tube 311 is connected to the first valve 313. The first valve 313 is connected to the bottom of the buffer tube 311 and is connected to the buffer tank 312. The buffer tube 311 is made of a transparent material. In one embodiment, the first valve 313 is opened and the driving device operates. When the air in the optical fiber capillary 400 is slowly discharged into the atmosphere, the pressure inside the optical fiber capillary 400 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. The sealant 110 moves from the sealant storage tank 100 in the direction from the first pipe orifice 410 to the second pipe orifice 420, then enters the buffer tube 311 and flows into the buffer tank 312, flowing the sealant 110 for the first time on the inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400, so that the uneven structure on the inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400 is filled and becomes smooth. Then the first valve 313 is closed, and the sealant 110 is flowed for the second time in the optical fiber capillary 400. When the sealant 110 fills the second pipe orifice 420 of the optical fiber capillary 400, the operation of the driving assembly 320 is stopped. Additionally, the buffer tube 311 can be a pipe made of any one of rubber, plastic, and resin and having the property of being transparent and easy to observe.

[0046] In this design, when the first valve 313 is opened and the sealant 110 is moved for the first time on the inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400, enabling the first-pass sealant 110 to flow into the buffer tank 312, the uneven structure on the inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400 can be filled and made smooth. Then, when the second-pass sealant 110 fills the optical fiber capillary 400, it avoids the influence of the uneven structure on the inner wall of the optical fiber capillary 400 on the filling effect, reduces the possibility of the existence of gaps inside the optical fiber capillary 400, and improves the quality and effect of the injection. At the same time, a transparent buffer tube 311 can be used, which is easy to observe the situation of the sealant 110 overflowing after filling the optical fiber capillary 400, and real-time control and adjustment can be carried out.

[0047] Specifically, the driving component 320 may include an air tube 322 and a driver 323. One end of the air tube 322 is connected to the buffer tube 311, and the other end is connected to the driver 323. The air tube 322 is disposed on the top of the buffer tube 311 and is parallel to the cross-section where the second pipe orifice 420 is located. The driver 323 is used to extract air and discharge it outside the negative pressure device. The driver 323 can be any component that forms a vacuum state in the inner cavity of the optical fiber capillary 400, as long as it can satisfy the requirement of enabling the driving component 320 to move the sealant 110 from the first pipe orifice 410 to the second pipe orifice 420 of the optical fiber capillary 400. When the driver 323 operates, the air in the optical fiber capillary 400 is slowly discharged into the atmosphere, the pressure inside the optical fiber capillary 400 is lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the sealant 110 moves from the sealant storage tank 100 in the direction from the first pipe orifice 410 to the second pipe orifice 420. The driver 323 can be a compressor or a vacuum pump. When the driver 323 is a vacuum pump, the vacuum pump can gather gas molecules in the system. When the gas density reaches the working range of the mechanical vacuum pump, the gas is pumped out of the driver 323, thereby gradually obtaining a vacuum state.

[0048] In order to intelligently control the driver 323 to stop operating after the injection of the optical fiber capillary 400 is completed, the driving component 320 further includes a sensor 321 and a controller 324. The sensor 321 is on the side wall of the buffer tube 311 and its position is higher than that of the second pipe orifice 420. The controller 324 is electrically connected to the sensor 321. When the sealant 110 has filled the optical fiber capillary 400, if there is no operator on site, the sealant 110 continues to overflow and enters the buffer tube 311. When the sealant 110 reaches the position of the sensor 321, after the sensor 321 senses the signal, it transmits the signal to the controller 324. The controller 324 controls the driver 323 to stop the operation of the driver 323, so that the sealant 110 stops flowing.

[0049] In this design, the sensor 321 is provided on the side wall of the buffer tube 311 and its installation position is higher than that of the second pipe orifice 420. On the one hand, the sealant 110 can fill the second pipe orifice 420, ensuring the quality of the injection of the optical fiber capillary 400; on the other hand, it can intelligently control the driver 323 without manual operation. When the injection is completed, the driver 323 stops operating, avoiding the continuous flow of the sealant 110 and affecting the driver 323, thereby improving the intelligence of the injection process of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0050] In order to facilitate observation of the sealant 110 entering the optical fiber capillary 400 and to allow a buffer time before the sealant 110 enters the optical fiber capillary 400, the pushing device 200 may also include a glue injection tube 210, one end of the glue injection tube 210 is connected to the first pipe opening 410, and the other end is connected to the glue storage tank 100, and the glue injection tube 210 is made of a transparent material. The glue injection tube 210 is used to connect the glue storage tank 100 and the optical fiber capillary 400 to avoid the glue storage tank 100 opening being too large, and the first pipe opening 410 directly connected to the optical fiber capillary 400 is inappropriate. When the diameter of the optical fiber capillary 400 changes, the glue injection tube 210 can adapt to the size of the optical fiber capillary 400 accordingly, which is convenient for glue injection. At the same time, the glue injection tube 210 can be made of any one of rubber, plastic, and resin and has a transparent and easy-to-observe property, which is convenient for observing the sealant 110 entering the optical fiber capillary 400, and can observe and control the glue injection rate of the sealant 110 in real time.

[0051] In order to facilitate the adjustment of the sealant 110 entering the optical fiber capillary 400 and avoid the sealant 110 entering the optical fiber capillary 400 in excessive amount and causing blockage, a second valve 500 can be set between the glue injection tube 210 and the glue storage tank 100 to control the sealant 110 entering the glue injection tube 210. By adjusting the second valve 500, the progress of the sealant 110 is controlled, and the glue storage tank 100 can also be convenient for adding sealant 110. When the amount of sealant 110 in the glue storage tank 100 is too little, the operation of the driving component 320 is stopped, the second valve 500 is closed, and the sealant 110 is injected into the glue storage tank 100 from the glue injection port, and the sealant 110 in the glue storage tank 100 is replenished in time to avoid the sealant 110 from being too little and affecting the operation of the device.

[0052] The pushing device 200 can be any component that can be translated along the axial direction of the optical fiber capillary 400. Further, the pushing device 200 includes a piston 220 and a piston rod 230, and the piston 220 is connected to the piston rod 230. The piston 220 can have a built-in glue storage tank 100, or the piston 220 can be external to the glue storage tank 100. When the piston 220 has a built-in glue storage tank 100, the piston 220 is connected to the inner wall of the glue storage tank 100, and a sealing ring can be used for connection. The sealing ring is fixed to the outer edge of the piston 220 and contacts the inner wall of the glue storage tank 100. The piston 220 translates along the axial direction of the optical fiber capillary 400 in the glue storage tank 100. The piston 220 can be disc-shaped or cylindrical. When the piston 220 is placed outside the glue storage tank 100, the piston 220 is connected to the glue storage tank 100 on the side away from the glue injection tube 210. The piston 220 and the glue storage tank 100 are slidably connected. When the device is in a vacuum state, the piston 220 can move to push the sealant 110 to move toward the second pipe opening 420.

[0053] In order to facilitate the observation of the quantity of the sealant 110 in the sealant storage tank 100, further, the sealant storage tank 100 is made of a transparent material, which can be a tank body made of any one of rubber, plastic, and resin and having the property of being transparent and easy to observe, facilitating the observation of the situation of the sealant 110 in the sealant storage tank 100, and enabling real-time observation and timely addition of the sealant 110.

[0054] In another embodiment, the pushing device 200 may include a conical sleeve 240. The conical sleeve 240 is placed axially. The inner wall of the conical sleeve 240 is connected to the upper outer wall of the optical fiber capillary 400. The opening of the conical sleeve 240 faces upward along the axis of the optical fiber capillary 400, facilitating the injection of the sealant 110 in the sealant storage tank 100 into the optical fiber capillary 400. The sealant 110 can be poured from the opening of the conical sleeve 240, which can guide the sealant 110 to quickly enter the optical fiber capillary 400 and prevent the sealant 110 from splashing out of the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0055] The vacuum device may further include a buffer tube 311, a sensor 321, an air tube 322, and a driver 323. One end of the buffer tube 311 is connected to the outer wall of the optical fiber capillary 400, and the other end is connected to the air tube 322. The air tube 322 can be arranged on the outer wall of the buffer tube 311 close to the conical sleeve 240 and parallel to the cross-section where the second nozzle 420 is located. One end of the air tube 322 is connected to the buffer tube 311, and the other end is connected to the driver 323.

[0056] In order to intelligently control the driver 323 to stop running after the injection of the sealant into the optical fiber capillary 400, a sensor 321 and a controller 324 are provided. The sensor 321 is on the side wall of the buffer tube 311 and its position is higher than the cross-section where the second nozzle 420 is located. The controller 324 is electrically connected to the sensor 321. When the optical fiber capillary 400 is filled with the sealant 110, if there is no operator on site, the sealant 110 continues to overflow and enters the buffer tube 311. When the sealant 110 reaches the position of the sensor 321, after the sensor 321 senses the signal, it transmits the signal to the controller 324. The controller 324 controls the driver 323 to stop the operation of the driver 323, and the sealant 110 stops flowing. In this design, the sensor 321 is arranged on the side wall of the buffer tube 311 and its installation position is higher than the second nozzle 420. On the one hand, the sealant 110 can fill the second nozzle 420, ensuring the quality of the injection of the sealant into the optical fiber capillary 400; on the other hand, it can intelligently control the driver 323 without manual operation. When the injection is completed, the driver 323 stops running, avoiding the continuous flow of the sealant 110 and affecting the driver 323.

[0057] The optical fiber 440 is placed inside the optical fiber capillary 400. When the sealant 110 is injected into the optical fiber capillary 400 through the upper opening of the conical sleeve 240, the driver 323 operates to gradually create a vacuum state inside the optical fiber capillary 400, guiding the sealant 110 to flow from the optical fiber capillary 400 into the buffer tube 311 and fill the second nozzle 420 under the vacuum state, avoiding the entry of air bubbles into the optical fiber capillary 400 under normal pressure and improving the quality of applying the sealant to the optical fiber capillary 400.

[0058] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary tube, characterized in that, include: Glue storage tank, used to store sealant; A pushing device is used to push the sealant into the optical fiber capillary, the optical fiber capillary is provided with a first pipe opening and a second pipe opening, the first pipe opening and the second pipe opening are communicated, one end of the glue storage tank is connected to the pushing device, and the other end is connected to the first pipe opening of the optical fiber capillary; and a vacuum device connected to the second nozzle; Wherein, the vacuum device is used to discharge the air in the optical fiber capillary from the vacuum device, so that the sealant moves toward the second pipe opening and fills the optical fiber capillary; The vacuum device includes a buffer component and a drive component, the buffer component is connected to the drive component, the buffer component includes a buffer tube, a buffer tank and a first valve, the buffer tube is close to one end of the optical fiber capillary and is connected to the second pipe mouth, the first valve is connected to the bottom of the buffer tube and is connected to the buffer tank, and the buffer tube is made of transparent material.

2. The negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pipe opening is set as a tapered hole, the end of the tapered hole with a larger cross section faces the glue storage tank, and the end of the tapered hole with a smaller cross section faces the second pipe opening, and the cross section of the first pipe opening is larger than the cross section of the second pipe opening.

3. The negative pressure device for gluing optical fiber capillaries according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes an air pipe and a driver. One end of the air pipe is connected to the buffer tube, and the other end is connected to the driver. The driver is used to extract air and discharge it out of the negative pressure device.

4. A negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly further includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is on the side wall of the buffer tube and is located higher than the second tube opening. The controller is electrically connected to the sensor.

5. The negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing device also includes a glue injection tube, one end of which is connected to the first pipe opening, and the other end is connected to the glue storage tank, and the glue injection tube is made of transparent material.

6. The negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second valve is provided between the glue injection pipe and the glue storage tank, for controlling the sealant to enter the glue injection pipe.

7. The negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 1, wherein: The pushing device comprises a piston and a piston rod, wherein the piston is connected to the piston rod; the glue storage tank is built in the piston, or the piston is external to the glue storage tank.

8. The negative pressure device for applying glue to an optical fiber capillary according to claim 1, wherein: The glue storage tank is made of transparent material.

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