An improved device for applying adhesive to a fiber optic cable and a method of using the same

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of optical fiber coating, and relates to a device for improving the uniformity of optical fiber ring adhesive coating and a method thereof, comprising: a base, an optical fiber ring bottom support, and an adhesive positioning and quantifying assembly, wherein the base is provided with an annular placement groove in the middle; the optical fiber ring bottom support is sleeved in the annular placement groove, the optical fiber ring bottom support is a hollow annular structure and is provided with an annular groove, and the adhesive positioning and quantifying assembly is embedded in the annular placement groove of the base. Compared with the prior art, the present application has the advantages of good uniformity of adhesive amount, controllable adhesive amount, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical fiber coating, and in particular to a device for improving the uniform coating of adhesive on optical fiber rings and its method of use. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic gyroscopes are all-solid-state angular velocity sensors based on the Sagnac effect, offering advantages such as small size, light weight, fast start-up, and high reliability. The fiber optic ring, a core component of the gyroscope, is highly sensitive to changes in ambient temperature. Thermal design is generally considered in the design of fiber optic gyroscopes. High-precision fiber optic gyroscopes often employ a skeletonized design for the fiber optic ring to minimize the contact area between the ring and its structural base, thereby reducing temperature sensitivity. The fiber optic ring and its structural base are mostly bonded together with epoxy adhesive. The expansion and contraction stress generated between the epoxy adhesive and the fiber optic ring during temperature changes will exert stress on the ring. This stress will cause a non-reciprocal phase difference in the fiber optic gyroscope, degrading its performance. Therefore, strictly controlling the thickness and uniformity of the adhesive used to bond the fiber optic ring is a common and effective means of suppressing this thermally induced stress error.

[0003] Existing adhesive application techniques typically involve manual application using a brush. This method cannot guarantee the uniformity and amount of adhesive applied. Furthermore, the brush application process generates many air bubbles that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. These defects negatively impact the performance and reliability of fiber optic gyroscopes, and are also inefficient and make it difficult to ensure consistent quality.

[0004] Patent CN208588385U discloses a device for improving the uniformity of fiber optic ring bonding. This patent includes a base for placing fiber optic gyroscope components, a glue dispensing device that can rotate around its center, and a baffle. The device ensures that there is no repeated glue application or insufficient glue in the bonding area of ​​the component by using the baffle and the glue dispensing device. The glue dispensing amount and uniformity are guaranteed by the rotation speed and flow rate of the glue dispensing device, but it is difficult to guarantee the glue thickness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a device and method for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings, which improves the uniformity of adhesive application and allows for controllable amount and thickness of adhesive.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An apparatus for improving the uniform application of adhesive to fiber optic rings, the apparatus comprising:

[0008] Base, fiber optic ring base, adhesive ring positioning and metering components,

[0009] The base has a cylindrical boss in the middle and an annular boss around the outer ring, forming an annular storage groove between the cylindrical boss and the annular boss.

[0010] The fiber optic ring base is fitted inside the annular storage groove. The fiber optic ring base is a hollow annular structure with an annular groove. The fiber optic ring is bonded to the bottom plate of the annular groove of the fiber optic ring base.

[0011] The adhesive ring positioning and dispensing component includes a hollow cylinder with a cover plate, a perforated ring surrounding the cylinder, and a scraper for applying the adhesive.

[0012] The hollow rings are connected by ring connectors for fixing. The thickness and hollow area of ​​the hollow rings are changed to position and measure the adhesive. The scraper is rotatably connected to the cylindrical cover plate through an L-shaped connecting rod. The bottom of the scraper abuts against the hollow rings. The hollow rings abut against the annular groove. The inner ring structure of the annular groove is embedded in the cylinder of the adhesive positioning and metering component. The cylinder is embedded in the annular storage groove of the base.

[0013] Furthermore, the device also includes a pressure plate for flattening the hollow ring connector. The pressure plate has a hollow funnel-shaped structure. The pressure plate is fitted into a cylinder, and the bottom circular structure of the pressure plate abuts against the outer ring of the hollow ring. The upper circular structure of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper circular structure of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss by screws.

[0015] Furthermore, the device also includes an annular washer disposed between the upper circular structure of the pressure plate and the upper surface of the annular boss.

[0016] Furthermore, the hollow ring has multiple ring connectors, which divide the hollow ring area into multiple hollow areas.

[0017] Furthermore, the hollow ring is also provided with an adhesive application start baffle and an adhesive application end baffle.

[0018] Furthermore, the annular boss has a notch for disassembly, and the notch has one or more notches.

[0019] Furthermore, the gap between the outer ring of the hollow ring and the annular groove is no greater than 0.1 mm.

[0020] Furthermore, the cylindrical cover plate has a positioning hole, and the bottom support of the optical fiber ring has a fiber outlet. The positioning hole is aligned with the fiber outlet during assembly.

[0021] A method for using a device for improving the uniform application of adhesive to fiber optic rings, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0022] S1: Fix the base to the workbench with screws, and place the fiber optic ring base into the annular groove of the base; place the assembled adhesive ring positioning and metering assembly into the annular groove of the fiber optic ring base, ensuring that the positioning hole of the cylindrical cover plate is aligned with the fiber outlet of the fiber optic ring base.

[0023] S2: Place the scraper at the starting point of the glue scraping and use a syringe to inject glue into the hollow ring from the starting point of the glue scraping;

[0024] S3: Rotate the scraper counterclockwise one full turn until it reaches the glue application termination baffle and stops scraping the glue;

[0025] S4: Remove the adhesive positioning and metering component, fix the fiber optic ring on the bottom plate of the annular groove, and complete the fiber optic ring adhesive application and bonding.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0027] 1. Good uniformity of adhesive application: When using this device to apply adhesive to rings, the thickness of the adhesive is consistent in all locations. Its precision is guaranteed by the machining of structural components, and the uniformity of adhesive application is far superior to manual application based on experience.

[0028] 2. Controllable adhesive amount for bonding the optical fiber ring: The amount of adhesive used for bonding the optical fiber ring is entirely controlled by the machining precision of the bottom hollow structure of the adhesive positioning and metering component (3). The design of the coating area and the amount of adhesive helps to explore and improve the bonding process parameters.

[0029] 3. No air bubbles in the adhesive ring: This invention does not involve repeated brushing and the adhesive thickness is consistent, so there are basically no air bubbles in the adhesive ring, which greatly improves the uniformity of stress on the fiber optic ring and enhances the temperature performance of the fiber optic gyroscope.

[0030] 4. Good quality consistency: When using the device and method for improving the uniformity of fiber optic ring adhesive disclosed in this invention, the process parameters for adhesive coating are guaranteed by this device, which can ensure that the fiber optic ring bonding parameters are completely consistent between different individuals, resulting in good product quality consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the structure of a device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a top view of a device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3This is a cross-sectional view (AA) of an optical fiber ring adhesive uniform coating device according to the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a partial enlarged view of point B in the optical fiber ring adhesive uniform coating device of the present invention;

[0035] Figure reference numerals:

[0036] 1. Base, 1-1. Cylindrical boss, 1-2. Annular boss, 2. Fiber optic ring base, 2-1. Annular groove, 2-2. Annular groove base plate, 3. Adhesive ring positioning and metering component, 3-1. Limiting baffle, 3-2. Cylindrical cover plate, 3-2. Positioning port, 3-2. L-shaped connector, 3-3. Scraper, 3-4. Hollow ring, 3-5. Pressure plate, 4. Upper circular structure of pressure plate, 4-1. Bottom circular structure of pressure plate, 4-2. Annular washer, 5. Adhesive application start baffle, 6. Adhesive application end baffle, 6-1. Adhesive storage area, 6-2. Hollow area, 6-3. Ring connector, 7. Outer ring, 7-1. Inner ring, 7-2. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0038] The following embodiments are implemented based on the above-described technical solution of the present invention, and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operation processes. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0039] The following are more detailed implementation examples, which further illustrate the technical solution of the present invention and the technical effects that can be obtained.

[0040] In the following embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the raw materials, reagents or processing techniques are all conventional commercial products or conventional processing techniques in the art.

[0041] Example

[0042] This embodiment provides a device for improving the uniform application of adhesive to fiber optic rings, such as... Figures 1-4 As shown, the device includes:

[0043] Base 1: In this embodiment, a circular plane 1-3 is recessed in the middle of the cylindrical boss 1-1 to place the optical fiber loop pigtail. An annular boss 1-2 is provided on the outer ring of the cylindrical boss 1-1. The cylindrical boss and the outer annular boss form an annular storage groove. In this embodiment, the annular boss 1-2 has four notches for disassembly.

[0044] Fiber optic ring base 2: The fiber optic ring base 2 is a frameless fiber optic ring base, which is a hollow ring structure with an annular groove 2-1. The fiber optic ring base 2 is fitted into the annular storage groove of the base 1. The fiber optic ring is bonded to the annular groove base plate 2-2 of the fiber optic ring base 2. The bonding surface of the annular groove base plate 2-2 is sandblasted to enhance adhesion.

[0045] Adhesive ring positioning and dispensing component 3: This adhesive ring positioning and dispensing component 3 includes a hollow cylinder with a cover plate, a perforated ring 3-5 surrounding the outer periphery of the cylinder, and a scraper 3-4 for scraping the adhesive.

[0046] In this embodiment, the cylindrical cover plate 3-2 has a through hole for installing a rotating bearing. The scraper 3-4 is rotatably connected to the cylindrical cover plate 3-2 via an L-shaped connector 3-3. The short end of the L-shaped connector 3-3 is fixed to the rotating bearing, and the long end is used to connect the scraper 3-4. The connection between the scraper 3-4 and the long end of the L-shaped connector 3-3 is an elastic connection, secured by a spring.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lower end of the scraper 3-4 abuts against the hollow ring 3-5. The width of the scraper 3-4 is greater than the width of the hollow area between the two rings of the hollow ring, but does not exceed the outer ring of the hollow ring 3-5. Therefore, in this embodiment, a limiting baffle 3-1 is provided at the outer ring of the hollow ring 3-5. The gap between the scraper 3-4 and the limiting baffle 3-1 is controlled at 0-0.2mm. The limiting baffle 3-1 is made of titanium alloy material with low density, high structural strength and not easily deformed.

[0048] In this embodiment, four ring connectors 7 for fixing are provided between the outer ring 7-1 and the inner ring 7-2 of the hollow ring, dividing the hollow part into four hollow areas. The hollow ring 3-5 abuts against the annular groove base plate 2-2, and the inner ring structure of the annular groove 2-1 is embedded in the hollow cylinder. The assembled fiber optic ring base 2 and the adhesive ring positioning and metering component 3 are embedded together into the annular storage groove of the base 1.

[0049] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the hollow ring 3-5 is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular groove 2-1, and the gap between the two should be small, generally not greater than 0.1mm;

[0050] In this embodiment, the device also includes a pressure plate 4 for flattening the hollow ring 3-5 connecting piece. Because the hollow ring 3-5 of the adhesive ring positioning and metering component 3 is relatively thin at the bottom (generally no more than 0.2mm), it may deform slightly. When embedded in the annular storage groove 2-1, the hollow ring 3-5 may not fit tightly against the annular groove bottom plate 2-2. This would prevent the adhesive ring from being positioned and metered, and would also affect the scraping action. Therefore, the pressure plate 4 is designed to press down on the hollow ring 3-5, ensuring that the bottom of the hollow ring 3-5 fits tightly against the annular groove bottom plate 2-2.

[0051] The pressure plate 4 has a hollow funnel-shaped structure. The upper circular structure 4-1 of the pressure plate is provided with an outward-facing annular mounting flange. During installation, the pressure plate 4 is first fitted onto the cylinder of the adhesive positioning and metering component 3, and the bottom circular structure 4-2 of the pressure plate abuts against the outer ring (limiting baffle 3-1) of the hollow ring 3-5. The upper circular structure 4-1 of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss 1-2 of the base 1.

[0052] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the bottom circular structure 4-2 of the pressure plate is equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the hollow ring 3-5, and the wall thickness of the bottom circular structure 4-2 of the pressure plate is greater than the thickness of the limiting baffle 3-1.

[0053] In this embodiment, the upper circular structure 4-1 of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss 1-2 by screws;

[0054] To further ensure that the pressure plate 4 and the annular boss 1-2 abut against each other, an annular washer 5 is also provided in this embodiment. The annular washer 5 is made of rubber and is located between the upper circular structure 4-1 of the pressure plate and the upper surface of the annular boss 1-2. When the annular washer 5 is not compressed, there is a gap between the pressure plate 4 and the upper surface of the annular boss 1-2. The gap is generally 0.2mm to 0.5mm. The addition of the annular washer 5 makes the pressure plate 4 and the upper surface of the annular boss 1-2 better connected.

[0055] In this embodiment, the annular washer 5 has 4 round holes, and the diameter of the round holes is larger than the diameter of the screw mounting holes on the pressure plate 4.

[0056] In this embodiment, a relatively viscous adhesive for bonding rings is selected, specifically 353ND-T two-component epoxy adhesive.

[0057] In this embodiment, the base 1 has through holes at the four corners for fixing the entire device to the workbench with screws.

[0058] In this embodiment, the cylindrical cover plate 3-2 has a positioning hole 3-21. The positioning hole 3-21 is located on the same straight line as one of the ring connectors 7. The fiber optic ring base 2 has a fiber outlet for positioning and installation. During assembly, the positioning hole 3-21 is aligned with the fiber outlet, which ensures that the annular groove base plate 2-2, which is on the same straight line as the fiber outlet, will not be coated with adhesive during the application of adhesive (meeting the requirements of some fiber optic ring bonding processes).

[0059] This embodiment also provides a method for using the device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings, including the following steps:

[0060] S1: Fix the base 1 to the workbench with screws; place the fiber optic ring base 2 into the annular storage groove of the base 1; place the assembled adhesive ring positioning and metering component 3 into the annular groove 2-1 of the fiber optic ring base 2, ensuring that the positioning hole of the cylindrical cover plate 3-2 is aligned with the fiber outlet of the fiber optic ring base 2.

[0061] S2: Depending on the different fiber ring coating processes, in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the four ring connectors divide the hollow ring into four hollow areas 6-3. Place the scraper 3-4 at the glue scraping starting point (glue application starting baffle 6), and use a syringe to inject glue into the hollow ring 3-5 from the glue scraping starting point. The amount of glue should be more at first and less later and should be basically continuous. There should be enough glue at the starting position. The nozzle diameter of the syringe should be relatively large, generally not less than 3mm, in order to avoid multiple glue replenishments.

[0062] S3: Rotate the scraper 3-4 counterclockwise one full turn until it reaches the glue application termination block 6-1 and stops scraping the glue. At this time, the excess glue enters the glue storage area 6-2 enclosed by the glue application start baffle 6 and the glue application termination block 6-1. Because of the obstruction of the glue application termination block 6-1, the scraper 3-4 can no longer move forward and thus ends the glue application.

[0063] S4: Remove the adhesive ring positioning and metering component 3, fix the fiber optic ring on the annular groove base plate 2-2, and complete the fiber optic ring adhesive application and fiber optic ring bonding.

[0064] Due to the manufacturing process, if the hollow ring 3-5 is thin, it is easy for the edge to bend and lift. A pressure plate 4 and annular washer 5 can be installed to press the adhesive ring positioning metering component 3 tightly.

[0065] Different optical fiber rings have different coating processes. In this case, the width of the coating is controlled by changing the distance between the 3rd to 5th hollow rings, i.e., the width of the hollow area. The thickness of the coating is controlled by changing the height of the 3rd to 5th hollow rings. This achieves the purpose of positioning and quantitative control of the adhesive ring.

[0066] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings, characterized in that, The device includes: Base (1), fiber optic ring base (2), adhesive ring positioning and quantitative component (3), pressure plate (4). The base (1) has a cylindrical boss (1-1) in the middle, and an annular boss (1-2) is provided on the outer ring of the cylindrical boss (1-1). The cylindrical boss (1-1) and the outer annular boss (1-2) form an annular storage groove. The fiber optic ring base (2) is embedded in the annular storage groove. The fiber optic ring base (2) is a hollow annular structure with an annular groove (2-1). The fiber optic ring is bonded to the annular groove base plate (2-2) of the fiber optic ring base (2). The adhesive ring positioning and metering component (3) includes a hollow cylinder with a cover plate, a hollow ring (3-5) surrounding the outer periphery of the cylinder, and a scraper (3-4) for scraping the adhesive. Among them, a ring connector (7) for fixing is provided between the outer ring (7-1) and the inner ring (7-2) of the hollow ring. The scraper (3-4) is rotatably connected to the cylindrical cover plate (3-2) through the L-shaped connecting rod (3-3). The bottom of the scraper (3-4) abuts against the hollow ring (3-5). The hollow ring (3-5) abuts against the annular groove bottom plate (2-2). The inner ring structure of the annular groove (2-1) is embedded in the cylinder of the adhesive positioning and metering component (3). The cylinder is embedded in the annular storage groove of the base (1). The pressure plate (4) is used to flatten the hollow ring (3-5) ring connector. The pressure plate (4) has a hollow funnel-shaped structure. The bottom circular structure (4-2) of the pressure plate abuts against the outer ring of the hollow ring (3-5). The upper circular structure (4-1) of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss (1-2).

2. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper circular structure (4-1) of the pressure plate is connected to the upper surface of the annular boss (1-2) by screws.

3. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes an annular washer (5), which is disposed between the upper circular structure (4-1) of the pressure plate and the upper surface of the annular boss (1-2).

4. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow ring (3-5) has multiple ring connectors, which divide the hollow ring (3-5) into multiple hollow areas.

5. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow ring (3-5) is also provided with a glue application start baffle (6) and a glue application end baffle (6-1).

6. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular boss (1-2) has a notch for disassembly, and the notch has one or more notches.

7. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gap between the outer ring of the hollow ring (3-5) and the annular groove (2-1) is no greater than 0.1 mm.

8. The device for uniformly applying adhesive to fiber optic rings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylindrical cover plate (3-2) has a positioning hole (3-21), and the fiber optic ring base (2) has a fiber outlet. The positioning hole (3-21) is aligned with the fiber outlet during assembly.

9. A method of using the fiber optic ring adhesive uniform coating device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Fix the base (1) to the workbench with screws, and place the fiber optic ring base (2) into the annular storage groove of the base (1); place the assembled adhesive ring positioning and metering component (3) into the annular groove (2-1) of the fiber optic ring base (2), and the positioning hole (3-21) of the cylindrical cover plate (3-2) should be aligned with the fiber outlet of the fiber optic ring base (2). S2: Place the scraper (3-4) at the starting point of the scraping process, and use a syringe to inject adhesive into the hollow ring (3-5) from the starting point of the scraping process; S3: Rotate the scraper (3-4) counterclockwise one full turn until it reaches the glue application termination stop (6-1) and stop scraping the glue; S4: Remove the adhesive ring positioning and metering component (3), fix the fiber ring on the bottom plate of the annular groove, and complete the fiber ring coating and fiber ring bonding.

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