A draw assist system for a no-die mold, a draw system, and a method of use

Abstract

The application relates to a drawing auxiliary system of a disassembly-free mold, a drawing system and a use method, which is used between a coated mold arranged on a cooling pipe and a mold table, and comprises a mounting table, a fiber feeding device and a first driving mechanism, the fiber feeding device is movably arranged on the mounting table; the first driving mechanism is connected with the fiber feeding device and is used for driving the fiber feeding device to move, so as to switch between a working position and a non-working position; when being in the working position, the fiber feeding device draws a rough optical fiber coming from the cooling pipe. The application can achieve the purpose of mold disassembly-free, can improve the drawing efficiency and can improve the optical fiber quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical fiber manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wire drawing auxiliary system, a wire drawing system, and a method of using a mold-free wire drawing system. Background Technology

[0002] The coating system in the optical fiber drawing process requires the use of molds, which are one of the most crucial components, directly affecting the coating performance of the bare fiber. Molds are also one of the most significant factors limiting drawing efficiency. Before and after use, molds must be disassembled and cleaned, a process that takes over 30 minutes each time. Especially in the event of fiber breakage, prompt cleaning is essential to ensure the production line can be restored to operation quickly.

[0003] The fiber drawing and coating mold consists of two parts: an inner coating and an outer coating. The inner coating is typically 230µm in diameter, and the diameter of the bare fiber that can pass through it cannot exceed 200µm. In the early stages of fiber drawing, the diameter of the bare fiber may exceed 1000µm, making it impossible to pass directly through the mold for drawing.

[0004] The existing mold handling method is as follows: during production stoppage, operators dismantle and clean the mold in the coating system. When fiber drawing begins, the thicker fiber at the front needs to be cut off first. The thicker fiber will first pass through the mold table on the second floor and be wound thinner on the first floor. When the fiber diameter becomes thinner and meets the requirements, the operator cuts the fiber above the mold table. After the mold is installed at the mold table, the fiber passes through the mold to the traction system and is drawn on the first floor.

[0005] Die cleaning accounts for approximately 30% of the fiber drawing process time. Especially when operators need to handle other tasks simultaneously, the time spent cleaning the die increases, impacting the overall operating time. Furthermore, poor die cleaning quality can lead to restarts, significantly affecting production efficiency and quality. Additionally, die assembly and disassembly can cause positional changes, potentially resulting in misalignment between the fiber center and the die center, leading to coating failures. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a wire drawing auxiliary system, a wire drawing system and a method of use that do not require mold disassembly, which can achieve the purpose of eliminating the need for mold disassembly, and improve both wire drawing efficiency and optical fiber quality.

[0007] In a first aspect, a wire drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold disassembly is provided, which is arranged between a cooling pipe and a coating mold on a mold table, and includes:

[0008] Installation platform;

[0009] A fiber feeding device, which is movably mounted on the mounting platform;

[0010] A first driving mechanism is connected to the fiber feeding device and is used to drive the fiber feeding device to move so as to switch between a working position and a non-working position; when in the working position, the fiber feeding device draws the thick optical fiber coming from the cooling tube.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fiber feeding device includes:

[0012] A first guide rail is mounted on the mounting platform;

[0013] The first base is disposed on the first guide rail and connected to the first drive mechanism;

[0014] Active traction wheel;

[0015] The second drive mechanism is mounted on the first base and connected to the active traction wheel;

[0016] Driven traction wheel;

[0017] A third drive mechanism is mounted on the first base. The third drive mechanism is connected to the driven traction wheel and is used to drive the driven traction wheel to approach or move away from the active traction wheel to clamp or release the thick optical fiber.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fiber drawing assist system further includes a control mechanism and a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure applied by the driven traction wheel to the thick optical fiber. The control mechanism is connected to the third drive mechanism and the pressure sensor, and is used to control the movement of the driven traction wheel based on a comparison of the measured pressure with a pressure threshold range, so as to adjust the distance between the driven traction wheel and the active traction wheel.

[0019] In some embodiments, a second guide rail is provided on the first base, and a second base is provided on the second guide rail, the second base being connected to the driven traction wheel and the third drive mechanism.

[0020] In some embodiments, the fiber drawing auxiliary system further includes a waste fiber cleaning device, the waste fiber cleaning device comprising:

[0021] The receiving cylinder has a funnel-shaped waste fiber inlet for receiving waste fibers from below the fiber feeding device;

[0022] A vacuum pump is connected to the receiving cylinder.

[0023] In some embodiments, the receiving cylinder is rotatably mounted on the mounting platform via a mounting bracket.

[0024] In some embodiments, the wire drawing auxiliary system further includes a telescopic connector tube, one end of which is a cooling pipe connector and the other end of which is a coating port connector for connecting to the coating mold.

[0025] In some embodiments, the telescopic connector tube includes an inner connector tube, a middle connector tube, and an outer connector tube arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside. The cooling pipe connector is located on the inner connector tube, and the coating port connector is located on the outer connector tube. Both the middle connector tube and the outer connector tube are provided with butterfly locking screws.

[0026] Secondly, a fiber drawing system is provided, comprising cooling tubes arranged sequentially along the fiber drawing direction, a fiber drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold removal as described above, a mold table, a curing device, and a drawing device, wherein a coating mold is provided on the mold table.

[0027] Thirdly, a method for using the wire drawing system described above is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0028] Drive the fiber feeding device to the working position and clamp the thick optical fiber coming through the cooling pipe onto the fiber feeding device.

[0029] Start the fiber feeding device to draw the thick optical fiber;

[0030] Continuously cut the optical fibers delivered from the fiber feeding device until the outer diameter of the optical fibers delivered from the fiber feeding device meets the threading requirements of the coating mold, then shut down the fiber feeding device.

[0031] The fiber is removed from the fiber feeding device and passed through the coating mold. It is then pulled to the traction device to drive the fiber feeding device to a non-working position.

[0032] To drive the traction device to work, in order to draw the wire.

[0033] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include:

[0034] In the traditional method, the coating mold needs to be removed first to avoid blocking the traction of the thick optical fiber. After the thick optical fiber is pulled to the traction device, the traction device provides power for the traction and the thick optical fiber is continuously cut off until the diameter of the optical fiber becomes thinner and meets the requirements. Then the coating mold is installed on the mold table, and the optical fiber passes through the mold to the traction system and is pulled on the first floor.

[0035] In this application, it is not necessary to dismantle the coating mold. Specifically, a fiber drawing auxiliary system is installed between the cooling pipe and the coating mold on the mold table. This auxiliary system has two stations: a working position and a non-working position. During fiber drawing, the fiber feeding device is driven to move to the working position. The fiber feeding device is used to pull and draw the thick optical fiber. During the fiber drawing process, the optical fiber fed from the fiber feeding device is continuously cut until the outer diameter of the optical fiber fed from the fiber feeding device meets the fiber threading requirements of the coating mold. Then, the optical fiber can be removed, pushed away from the fiber feeding device, and passed through the coating mold. After being pulled to the pulling device, it can be drawn for normal fiber drawing.

[0036] In this application, a fiber feeding device is used to achieve the thinning of thick optical fibers, eliminating the need for the traction device in the original fiber drawing system. Furthermore, since the fiber feeding device is located before the coating mold, it avoids the problem of obstructing the traction of the thick optical fiber. Therefore, after using the fiber drawing auxiliary system of this application, it is not necessary to disassemble the coating mold during fiber drawing, thereby improving production efficiency. In addition, since the coating mold does not need to be disassembled, the problem of mold position changes caused by mold disassembly and assembly, leading to misalignment between the fiber center and the mold center and resulting in coating scrap, can be avoided, thus improving the quality of optical fiber production. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a non-dismantling mold drawing auxiliary system provided in an embodiment of this application (fiber feeding device in working position);

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a non-disassembly mold drawing auxiliary system provided in this application embodiment (the fiber feeding device is in a non-working position).

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Mounting platform; 2. Fiber feeding device; 20. First guide rail; 21. First base; 22. Active traction wheel; 23. Second drive mechanism; 24. Driven traction wheel; 25. Second guide rail; 26. Second base; 3. First drive mechanism; 4. Mold table; 40. Coating mold; 5. Receiving cylinder; 6. Telescopic connector tube; 60. Inner connector tube; 61. Middle connector tube; 62. Outer connector tube; 63. Butterfly locking screw; 7. Mounting bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this application embodiment provides a wire drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold disassembly. It is arranged between a cooling pipe and a coating mold 40 on a mold table 4. It includes a mounting platform 1, a fiber feeding device 2, and a first driving mechanism 3. The fiber feeding device 2 is movably mounted on the mounting platform 1. The first driving mechanism 3 is connected to the fiber feeding device 2 and is used to drive the fiber feeding device 2 to move so as to switch between a working position and a non-working position. When in the working position, the fiber feeding device 2 draws the coarse optical fiber coming from the cooling pipe.

[0043] In traditional methods, the coating mold needs to be removed before fiber drawing to avoid obstructing the pulling of the thick optical fiber. The thick fiber is then pulled to the drawing device, which provides power for drawing, continuously cutting away the thick fiber until its diameter meets the requirements. The coating mold is then installed back onto the mold platform, and the fiber passes through the mold to the drawing system for drawing. However, this application eliminates the need to remove the coating mold. Specifically, a fiber drawing auxiliary system is installed between the cooling pipe and the coating mold 40 on the mold platform 4. This system has two positions: a working position and a non-working position. During drawing, the fiber feeding device 2 is moved to the working position to pull and draw the thick optical fiber. During the drawing process, the fiber fed from the fiber feeding device 2 is continuously cut until its outer diameter meets the threading requirements of the coating mold 40. Then, the fiber is removed, pushed away from the fiber feeding device 2, and pulled through the coating mold 40 to the drawing device for normal drawing.

[0044] In this application, the fiber feeding device 2 is used to achieve the thinning of thick optical fibers, eliminating the need for the traction device in the original fiber drawing system. Furthermore, since the fiber feeding device 2 is located before the coating mold 40, it avoids the problem of obstructing the traction of the thick optical fiber. Therefore, after using the fiber drawing auxiliary system of this application, it is not necessary to disassemble the coating mold during fiber drawing, thereby improving production efficiency. In addition, since the coating mold does not need to be disassembled, the problem of mold position changes caused by mold disassembly and assembly, leading to misalignment between the fiber center and the mold center and resulting in coating failure, can be avoided, thus improving the quality of optical fiber production.

[0045] To achieve the drawing of thick optical fibers, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 As shown, the fiber feeding device 2 includes a first guide rail 20, a first base 21, an active traction wheel 22, a second drive mechanism 23, a driven traction wheel 24, and a third drive mechanism. The first guide rail 20 is disposed on the mounting platform 1. The first base 21 is disposed on the first guide rail 20 and connected to the first drive mechanism 3. The first drive mechanism 3 can drive the first base 21 to move on the first guide rail 20, thereby realizing the purpose of switching the fiber feeding device 2 between the working position and the non-working position. The second drive mechanism 23 is mounted on the first base 21 and connected to the active traction wheel 22. The third drive mechanism is mounted on the first base 21 and connected to the driven traction wheel 24, and is used to drive the driven traction wheel 24 to approach or move away from the active traction wheel 22 to clamp or release the thick optical fiber.

[0046] from Figure 1 As can be seen, the optical fiber moves vertically, the driven traction wheel 24 moves horizontally left and right, and the fiber feeding device 2 moves horizontally back and forth. For example... Figure 1 When the fiber feeding device 2 moves to the edge of the mounting platform 1, it is in the working position, and when the fiber feeding device 2 returns to the middle position of the mounting platform 1, it is in the non-working position.

[0047] The first drive mechanism 3 and the third drive mechanism can use telescopic cylinders, while the second drive mechanism 23 can use a rotary motor to drive the active traction wheel 22 to rotate.

[0048] The third drive mechanism can drive the driven traction wheel 24 to approach the active traction wheel 22, thereby clamping the thick optical fiber. Then, the second drive mechanism 23 drives the active traction wheel 22 to rotate, so that the drawing operation of the thick optical fiber can be realized through the cooperation of the active traction wheel 22 and the driven traction wheel 24.

[0049] During the drawing process of thick optical fiber, the fiber continuously becomes thinner. To prevent the fiber from becoming too thin, but whose outer diameter is not yet large enough to pass through the coating mold 40, causing it to slip between the active traction wheel 22 and the driven traction wheel 24, thus affecting continued drawing, this application also provides a scheme for real-time adjustment of the distance between the active traction wheel 22 and the driven traction wheel 24 to ensure that the thick optical fiber can continue to be drawn normally. Specifically, the drawing auxiliary system also includes a control mechanism and a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure applied by the driven traction wheel 24 to the thick optical fiber. The control mechanism is connected to the third drive mechanism and the pressure sensor, and is used to control the movement of the driven traction wheel 24 based on the comparison result of the measured pressure and the pressure threshold range, so as to adjust the distance between the driven traction wheel 24 and the active traction wheel 22.

[0050] The pressure threshold range can be set according to actual needs.

[0051] If the measured pressure is less than the minimum value of the pressure threshold range, it indicates that the distance between the active traction wheel 22 and the driven traction wheel 24 is too large. The thick optical fiber between the active traction wheel 22 and the driven traction wheel 24 may slip and cannot be drawn smoothly. At this time, the third drive mechanism can be controlled to drive the driven traction wheel 24 towards the active traction wheel 22 until it is within the pressure threshold range. Then, the movement of the driven traction wheel 24 is stopped to avoid the pressure exceeding the maximum value of the pressure threshold range, which could damage the optical fiber.

[0052] See Figure 1 As shown, a second guide rail 25 is provided on the first base 21, and a second base 26 is provided on the second guide rail 25. The second base 26 is connected to the driven traction wheel 24 and the third drive mechanism.

[0053] Since the optical fibers delivered from fiber feeder 2 need to be continuously cut, the cut waste fibers can be manually cleaned up. However, manual cleaning is inefficient and inconvenient. To improve efficiency, see [reference needed]. Figure 1 As shown, the fiber drawing auxiliary system also includes a waste fiber cleaning device, which includes a receiving cylinder 5 and a vacuum pump. The receiving cylinder 5 has a funnel-shaped waste fiber inlet for receiving waste fibers from below the fiber feeding device 2; the vacuum pump is connected to the receiving cylinder 5.

[0054] The cut waste fibers are sucked into the receiving cylinder 5 by a vacuum pump to achieve the purpose of automatic collection of waste fibers.

[0055] See Figure 1 As shown, the receiving cylinder 5 is rotatably mounted on the mounting platform 1 via the mounting bracket 7. When waste fiber needs to be collected, the mounting bracket 7 is rotated to move the receiving cylinder 5 directly below the driven traction wheel 24 and the active traction wheel 22, so that the cut waste fiber falls directly into the trumpet-shaped waste fiber inlet. After the waste fiber collection is complete, the mounting bracket 7 is rotated again to move it away from the fiber and avoid obstructing the fiber feed during subsequent fiber drawing.

[0056] See Figure 1 As shown, the wire drawing auxiliary system also includes a telescopic connector tube 6, one end of which is a cooling pipe connector, and the other end is a coating port connector for connecting to the coating mold 40.

[0057] Before the thick optical fiber is thinned to pass through the coating mold 40, one end of the telescopic connector tube 6 is connected to the cooling tube, and the other end is temporarily not connected to the coating mold 40.

[0058] After the thick optical fiber is drawn thin enough to pass through the coating mold 40, during the formal optical fiber drawing process, one end of the telescopic connector tube 6 is connected to the cooling tube and the other end is connected to the coating mold 40 to achieve a channel sealing effect.

[0059] The telescopic connector tube 6 includes an inner connector tube 60, a middle connector tube 61, and an outer connector tube 62 arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside. The cooling pipe connector is located at the top of the inner connector tube 60. A sealing ring groove structure is formed at the bottom of the inner connector tube 60. A sealing ring groove structure is also formed at the bottom of the middle connector tube 61. The coating port connector is located on the outer connector tube 62. Both the middle connector tube 61 and the outer connector tube 62 are provided with butterfly locking screws 63.

[0060] The inner connector tube 60 is sealed to the cooling tube via the cooling tube connector, and the outer connector tube 62 is sealed to the coating mold 40 via the coating port connector. The inner connector tube 60, the middle connector tube 61, and the outer connector tube 62 are sealed together by setting a sealing ring in the sealing ring groove structure.

[0061] This application embodiment also provides a fiber drawing system, which includes a cooling pipe arranged sequentially along the fiber drawing direction, a fiber drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold disassembly, a mold table 4, a curing device and a drawing device, wherein a coating mold 40 is provided on the mold table 4.

[0062] The above-mentioned wire drawing system can be used according to the following steps:

[0063] 101: Drive the fiber feeding device 2 to the working position and clamp the thick optical fiber coming from the cooling pipe onto the fiber feeding device 2.

[0064] 102: Start the fiber feeding device 2 to draw the thick optical fiber.

[0065] 103: Continuously cut the optical fibers delivered from the fiber feeding device 2 until the outer diameter of the optical fibers delivered from the fiber feeding device 2 meets the threading requirements of the coating mold 40, then shut down the fiber feeding device 2.

[0066] 104: Remove the optical fiber from the fiber feeding device 2, pass the optical fiber through the coating mold 40, and pull it to the traction device to drive the fiber feeding device 2 to a non-working position.

[0067] 105: Drive the traction device to work in order to draw the wire.

[0068] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0069] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0070] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A wire drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold disassembly, characterized in that, It is used between the coating mold (40) and the cooling pipe and the mold base (4), and includes: Mounting station (1); Fiber feeding device (2), which is movably mounted on the mounting platform (1); The first drive mechanism (3) is connected to the fiber feeding device (2) and is used to drive the fiber feeding device (2) to move so as to switch between working position and non-working position; when in working position, the fiber feeding device (2) draws the coarse optical fiber coming from the cooling tube; The fiber feeding device (2) includes: The first guide rail (20) is disposed on the mounting platform (1); The first base (21) is disposed on the first guide rail (20) and connected to the first drive mechanism (3); Active traction wheel (22); The second drive mechanism (23) is mounted on the first base (21) and connected to the active traction wheel (22); Driven traction wheel (24); The third drive mechanism is mounted on the first base (21). The third drive mechanism is connected to the driven traction wheel (24) and is used to drive the driven traction wheel (24) to approach or move away from the active traction wheel (22) to clamp or release the thick optical fiber. The fiber drawing auxiliary system also includes a waste fiber cleaning device, which includes: The receiving cylinder (5) has a flared waste fiber inlet for receiving waste fibers from below the fiber feeding device (2), and the receiving cylinder (5) is rotatably mounted on the mounting platform (1) by means of the mounting bracket (7); A vacuum pump is connected to the receiving cylinder (5).

2. The wire drawing auxiliary system without mold disassembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The fiber drawing auxiliary system also includes a control mechanism and a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure applied by the driven traction wheel (24) to the thick optical fiber. The control mechanism is connected to the third drive mechanism and the pressure sensor, and is used to control the movement of the driven traction wheel (24) based on the comparison result of the measured pressure with the pressure threshold range, so as to adjust the distance between the driven traction wheel (24) and the active traction wheel (22).

3. The wire drawing auxiliary system without mold disassembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first base (21) is provided with a second guide rail (25), and the second guide rail (25) is provided with a second base (26). The second base (26) is connected to the driven traction wheel (24) and the third drive mechanism.

4. The wire drawing auxiliary system without mold disassembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The wire drawing auxiliary system also includes a telescopic connector tube (6), one end of which is a cooling pipe connector and the other end is a coating port connector for connecting the coating mold (40).

5. The wire drawing auxiliary system without mold disassembly as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic connector tube (6) includes an inner connector tube (60), a middle connector tube (61) and an outer connector tube (62) arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside. The cooling pipe connector is located on the inner connector tube (60), and the coating port connector is located on the outer connector tube (62). Both the middle connector tube (61) and the outer connector tube (62) are provided with butterfly locking screws (63).

6. A wire drawing system, characterized in that, It includes cooling pipes arranged sequentially along the fiber optic traction direction, a wire drawing auxiliary system that does not require mold disassembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, a mold table (4), a curing device and a traction device, wherein a coating mold (40) is provided on the mold table (4).

7. A method of using the wire drawing system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Drive the fiber feeding device (2) to the working position and clamp the thick optical fiber coming through the cooling pipe onto the fiber feeding device (2); Start the fiber feeding device (2) to draw the thick optical fiber; The fiber fed from the fiber feeding device (2) is continuously cut until the outer diameter of the fiber fed from the fiber feeding device (2) meets the threading requirements of the coating mold (40), and then the fiber feeding device (2) is shut down. The fiber is removed from the fiber feeding device (2), and after the fiber is passed through the coating mold (40), it is pulled to the traction device to drive the fiber feeding device (2) to a non-working position. To drive the traction device to work, in order to draw the wire.

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