Optical fiber coating heating device and method

Abstract

The invention provides an efficient, energy-saving and accurate-control optical fiber coating heating device and a heating method thereof. The device mainly comprises a flexible covering layer, a heating unit, a sensor and a control unit. The heating units are evenly distributed on the inner side of the flexible covering layer, the heat preservation and insulation layer is arranged to prevent heat loss, the control unit intelligently adjusts the heating power of the heating units according to temperature signals monitored by the sensors in real time, and accurate control over the coating temperature is achieved. In addition, the flexible covering layer is designed to be flexible and foldable, and comprises a plurality of parts which can be detachably connected, so that the flexible covering layer is convenient to adapt to paint containers with different sizes. The heating unit is composed of a plurality of independent heating pieces and is convenient to maintain and replace. According to the heating method, the temperature of the inner side of the flexible covering layer is regulated and controlled through the heating device arranged on the outer side of the coating container, and then uniform heating of the coating temperature is achieved. Compared with the prior art, the device has the advantages of high heating efficiency, low energy consumption, accurate temperature control, high adaptability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of optical fiber manufacturing, and in particular to an optical fiber coating heating device and method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the optical fiber manufacturing industry, the importance of optical fiber surface coating technology as a key link to ensure the performance and stability of optical fibers has become increasingly prominent. Coating the optical fiber surface with a uniform and high-quality protective layer can not only effectively prevent the optical fiber from mechanical damage, moisture erosion and chemical corrosion during subsequent processing, laying and use, but also significantly improve the transmission efficiency and life of the optical fiber. At present, the optical fiber coating process has made remarkable achievements. By precisely controlling the viscosity, thickness and other key parameters of the coating, the coating layer can be precisely controlled, ensuring the excellent quality of optical fiber products.

[0003] However, there are still many challenges to be solved in the key pretreatment step of heating the optical fiber coating. In the traditional method, the coating is stored in large barrels as a centralized feed source. Due to the large size of the barrels and their placement in an open space, the method of using electric fans to heat and increase the indoor air temperature has obvious limitations. This method is not only inefficient, but also difficult to quickly and evenly transfer heat to the inside of the coating, resulting in a long preheating time for the coating, affecting the production rhythm; at the same time, due to the wide heating space and serious heat loss, not only does it cause the working environment temperature to rise sharply, affecting the comfort and health of the operators, but it also causes a huge waste of energy, which is not in line with the current industry development trend of green manufacturing, energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0004] Therefore, developing an efficient, energy-saving, and precisely controlled optical fiber coating heating device and method has become an important issue that needs to be urgently addressed in the field of optical fiber manufacturing. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide an optical fiber coating heating device, which can efficiently and energy-savingly and accurately control the heating of the coating, can effectively and quickly heat up the coating, and prevent heat loss. The optical fiber coating heating device includes a flexible covering layer, a heating unit, a sensor, and a control unit; The flexible covering layer comprises a heat preservation and heat insulation layer, the heat preservation and heat insulation layer is arranged on the outside of the flexible covering layer, and the heating unit is arranged on the inside of the flexible covering layer; The control unit is connected to the sensor and the heating unit, and the control unit adjusts the heating power of the heating unit according to the signal of the sensor; Wherein, the heating units are evenly distributed in the flexible covering layer.

[0006] In one embodiment, the outer side of the flexible cover layer is formed by flame-retardant insulating fabric.

[0007] In one of the embodiments, the flexible cover layer is flexible and foldable.

[0008] In one embodiment, the flexible cover layer includes a plurality of detachably connected parts.

[0009] In one embodiment, the heating unit is a plurality of independent heating elements.

[0010] In one embodiment, a mounting component is disposed inside the flexible covering layer, and each heating element corresponds to an independent mounting component.

[0011] In one embodiment, the inner side of the flexible cover layer includes an insertion port, and the heating element is connected to the insertion port.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, the outer side of the flexible cover layer further includes a fastening component.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner side of the flexible cover layer includes a heat conductive layer.

[0014] In addition, the present application also includes a method for heating optical fiber coating, which uses the aforementioned optical fiber coating heating device, including setting the optical fiber coating heating device on the outside of the coating container, and regulating the temperature of the inner side of the flexible covering layer by a heating unit to thereby regulate the temperature of the coating in the coating container.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects: the optical fiber coating heating device of the present application realizes efficient, energy-saving and precise control of the optical fiber coating heating process, improves the overall efficiency and product quality of the optical fiber production line, and the built-in heating units of the device are evenly distributed in the flexible covering layer, which can quickly and evenly increase the temperature inside the coating container, effectively shorten the preheating time of the coating, and improve production efficiency. Through the intelligent linkage of the control unit and the sensor, the precise adjustment of the heating power is realized, and the heating power is adjusted in real time according to the actual temperature requirements of the coating, avoiding unnecessary energy waste and significantly reducing energy consumption costs. At the same time, the design of the thermal insulation layer effectively prevents heat loss and improves energy utilization efficiency. The precise temperature control not only ensures the uniformity and stability of the coating heating, but also avoids the adverse effects on the coating quality caused by excessively high or low temperatures.

[0016] The outer side of the flexible cover layer is made of flame-retardant insulating fabric, which effectively prevents the risk of fire that may occur during the heating process and improves production safety. At the same time, good thermal insulation performance reduces heat radiation and heat pollution in the working environment, providing operators with more comfortable working conditions. The flexible cover layer is designed to be flexible and foldable and contains multiple detachable and connected parts, which is convenient for flexible adjustment and installation according to paint containers of different sizes and shapes. In addition, the heating unit consists of multiple independent heating elements, which are connected to the flexible cover layer through a plug-in interface, which is easy to maintain and replace, and improves the scalability and maintenance convenience of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of an optical fiber coating heating device in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of an optical fiber coating heating device in one embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Description of reference numerals: 100, flexible covering layer; 110, thermal insulation layer; 120, heating unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, rather than to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only some structures related to the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, rather than all structures. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0021] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0022] As a key link in the optical fiber manufacturing process, the coating of optical fiber coating directly affects the protective performance, mechanical strength and transmission efficiency of the optical fiber. In order to ensure the uniformity and high quality of the optical fiber coating layer, the viscosity, thickness and other parameters of the coating need to be precisely controlled, and the coating heating is a pretreatment step before coating, and its efficiency and accuracy cannot be ignored.

[0023] Traditional coating heating methods often have problems such as low efficiency, high energy consumption, and difficult to control the working environment temperature. They are difficult to meet the needs of modern optical fiber production for high efficiency, energy saving, and safety. It is necessary to develop efficient, energy-saving, and precisely controlled optical fiber coating heating technology. This application proposes an optical fiber coating heating device and a heating method thereof. The device adopts an integrated design of a flexible covering layer 100, a heating unit 120, a sensor, and a control unit to achieve efficient and uniform heating of the optical fiber coating, effectively solving many problems in traditional heating methods. The introduction of this technology improves the heating efficiency and product quality of optical fiber coatings. The specific design, working principle, and significant advantages of this technology in practical applications will be described in detail below. Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2 , an optical fiber coating heating device in a preferred embodiment of the present application includes a flexible covering layer 100, a heating unit 120, a sensor and a control unit, wherein the flexible covering layer 100 includes a thermal insulation layer 110, the thermal insulation layer 110 is arranged on the outside of the flexible covering layer 100, the heating unit 120 is arranged on the inside of the flexible covering layer 100, the control unit is connected to the sensor and the heating unit 120, and the control unit adjusts the heating power of the heating unit 120 according to the signal of the sensor. The flexible covering layer 100 serves as the basic structure of the device. The flexible covering layer 100 not only has good flexibility and foldability to adapt to coating containers of different shapes and sizes, but also has a built-in thermal insulation layer 110, which is arranged on the outside of the flexible covering layer 100 to effectively prevent heat loss and ensure high efficiency and energy saving of the heating process. The heating units 120 are evenly distributed on the inner side of the flexible cover layer 100. The evenly distributed design enables the heat to be evenly transferred to the paint container during the heating process, avoiding local overheating or uneven heating problems, thereby ensuring the uniformity and stability of the paint heating. In addition, the heating unit 120 can select independent heating elements of different specifications and quantities according to actual needs to achieve more sophisticated heating control. The sensor is used to monitor the temperature or other relevant parameters inside the paint container in real time. These real-time data are transmitted to the intelligent control unit, and the control unit automatically adjusts the heating power of the heating unit 120 according to the preset heating program and the signal fed back by the sensor. Through this intelligent control method, not only the accuracy of the heating process is improved, but also the need for manual intervention is greatly reduced, which improves the overall work efficiency and safety.

[0024] Specifically, the outer side of the flexible covering layer 100 is formed by a flame-retardant insulating fabric, which not only has excellent flame-retardant properties, but can also effectively prevent the spread of fire in a high-temperature environment and ensure the safety of the heating process; at the same time, it also has good insulation properties, which greatly improves the safety performance of the optical fiber coating heating device. During the heating process, even if extreme conditions cause a sudden temperature rise or electrical failure, the fabric can respond quickly to prevent the spread of the fire and effectively isolate the current to ensure the safety of operators and equipment. In industrial environments such as optical fiber manufacturing, there are often many unfavorable factors such as high temperature, humidity, and oil pollution. The excellent performance of the flame-retardant insulating fabric enables the flexible covering layer 100 to better adapt to these complex environments and maintain the stability and reliability of its functions.

[0025] Specifically, the flexible covering layer 100 is flexible and foldable. The flexible and foldable form allows it to flexibly adapt to paint buckets of different specifications and models. Figure 2 , can be attached along Figure 2 The dotted part in the figure is bent as needed. The flexible covering layer 100 is made of highly elastic and wear-resistant materials, ensuring that it can maintain good sealing and durability during multiple folding and unfolding processes. While being easy to store, it can also ensure that the user can cover the heating device on paint buckets of different sizes and shapes through simple operations. The flexible and foldable design enables the flexible covering layer 100 to be widely used in paint buckets of various specifications and models, whether standard size or special customization, to achieve a perfect match. This high degree of adaptability greatly improves the versatility and flexibility of the equipment and reduces the user's cost of use. The flexible and foldable design makes the flexible covering layer 100 extremely convenient during installation, disassembly and cleaning. Users can complete the operation without complex tools or skills, greatly reducing maintenance costs and time costs.

[0026] Specifically, the flexible cover layer 100 includes a plurality of detachably connected parts. Each detachably connected part adopts a structural design that is easy to disassemble and assemble, such as Velcro, zipper, snap button or specially designed buckle, etc., to ensure that they can be tightly connected to form a complete cover layer, and can be easily separated as needed to adapt to paint buckets of different sizes, shapes or specific requirements. By dividing the flexible cover layer 100 into a plurality of detachably connected parts, the user can selectively use or adjust these parts according to the specific size and shape of the paint bucket to achieve the best fit effect. The detachable connection design makes the flexible cover layer 100 more flexible during maintenance and cleaning. The user can remove a certain part separately for cleaning or replacement as needed without removing the entire cover layer, thereby saving time and labor. In addition, this design also facilitates the addition or replacement of specific functional layers (such as thermal insulation layer, heat insulation layer, etc.) on the cover layer to meet different heating requirements. Since each detachably connected part can be replaced independently, when a part is worn or damaged, the user only needs to replace the part without replacing the entire cover layer. This modular design can reduce maintenance costs.

[0027] Specifically, the heating unit 120 is a plurality of independent heating elements. The heating unit 120 is innovatively designed to be composed of a plurality of independent heating elements. These heating elements can be evenly distributed on the inner side of the flexible cover layer 100 or around the paint bucket, and can be flexibly configured according to specific needs and the shape of the paint bucket. Each heating element is equipped with an independent temperature control system, which can be precisely adjusted according to the type of paint, heating requirements and real-time temperature feedback to ensure the uniformity and efficiency of the heating process. Since each heating element can be independently controlled, targeted heating can be performed according to the different characteristics and heating requirements of the paint, avoiding unnecessary energy waste. At the same time, this design also speeds up the heating speed and shortens the heating cycle, thereby improving production efficiency. Multiple independent heating elements allow users to select and configure according to actual needs. Whether it is the size, shape or heating requirements of the paint bucket, it can be met by adjusting the number and position of the heating elements. This high flexibility enables the heating unit 120 to be applicable to a variety of different application scenarios. When a heating element fails or needs to be replaced, the user can easily disassemble it for repair or replacement without affecting the normal operation of other heating elements. This modular design greatly reduces maintenance costs and time costs.

[0028] Specifically, a mounting component is provided inside the flexible cover layer 100, and each heating element corresponds to an independent mounting component. By designing a plurality of independent mounting components, these components correspond one-to-one with each heating element in the heating unit 120, forming a precisely matched mounting system. Each mounting component has a stable support structure and a convenient fixing mechanism, such as a slot, a hook, Velcro or an adjustable fastening belt, etc., to ensure that the heating element can be firmly installed in a designated position, while maintaining an appropriate distance from the paint placement bucket to avoid heat loss or safety hazards caused by direct contact. By equipping each heating element with an independent mounting component, the heating element is accurately positioned and firmly installed inside the flexible cover layer 100. This design ensures that the heating elements can be evenly distributed according to a predetermined layout, improving the uniformity and efficiency of heating. At the same time, the stable mounting mechanism also prevents the heating element from shifting or falling off during use, ensuring the stability and safety of the heating process. The independent mounting component makes it easier to disassemble, replace and maintain the heating element. When a heating element fails or needs to be cleaned, the user can easily remove it by operating the mounting component without affecting the normal operation of other heating elements. The design of the mounting component has certain flexibility and adjustability, and can be fine-tuned according to different specifications and models of paint buckets to meet different heating requirements. This adaptability enables the flexible cover layer 100 to be widely used in various scenarios, improving the versatility and flexibility of the device.

[0029] Specifically, the inner side of the flexible cover layer 100 includes a plug interface, and the heating element is connected to the plug interface. These plug interfaces are designed for quick connection and fixation of the heating element. Each plug interface has a precise size, shape and electrical interface to ensure that the heating element can be accurately inserted and firmly connected. The installation process of the heating element is simplified and the reliability and safety of the connection are improved. At the same time, the position layout of the plug interface is also carefully planned to optimize the distribution of the heating element and the heat conduction efficiency. The design of the plug interface makes the installation of the heating element simple and quick. The user only needs to align the heating element with the corresponding plug interface and insert it, without complicated fixing steps or tools, which greatly saves installation time and labor costs. The plug interface design usually includes electrical isolation and anti-short circuit measures, which can effectively prevent safety accidents caused by poor electrical connection. In addition, the quick plug-in and pull-out characteristics of the plug interface also facilitate the rapid disconnection of the heating source in an emergency, thereby improving the safety performance of the equipment. The position layout of the plug interface is planned to ensure that the heating elements can be evenly distributed according to the predetermined layout and maximize the heat conduction efficiency, which helps to reduce heat loss, improve heating speed and uniformity, and thus improve the heating effect and quality of the coating. When the heating element needs to be replaced or upgraded, the user only needs to unplug the old element and plug in the new element. There is no need to disassemble or rewire the entire flexible cover layer 100. The modular design reduces maintenance costs.

[0030] Specifically, the flexible cover layer 100 also includes a fastening component on the outside. The fastening component is intended to further enhance the fastening effect between the flexible cover layer 100 and the paint bucket, ensuring that the cover layer can be stably attached to the bucket body during the heating process, and will not fall off or shift due to temperature changes, wind influence or slight movement of the paint bucket. The design of the fastening component is diverse, and may include elastic straps, adjustable buckles, Velcro or locking devices that match the specific structure of the paint bucket, etc., to meet the fastening requirements in different application scenarios. The addition of the fastening component significantly improves the stability of the flexible cover layer 100 during the heating process, effectively preventing heat loss, uneven heating and even safety accidents caused by the shedding or displacement of the cover layer, ensuring the continuity and safety of the heating process, and providing users with a more reliable heating experience. Different types of fastening components can adapt to paint buckets of different specifications, shapes and materials, making the flexible cover layer 100 more widely applicable. Users can choose appropriate fastening components according to actual needs to achieve the best fastening effect and heating performance. The fastening function of the fastening component helps to maintain close contact between the flexible cover layer 100 and the paint placement bucket, reducing poor heat conduction during the heating process and improving heating efficiency and uniformity.

[0031] Specifically, the inner side of the flexible covering layer 100 includes a heat conduction layer. The heat conduction layer is made of a material with a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum film, copper foil or special synthetic material, in order to accelerate the transfer of heat and ensure that the heat generated by the heating element can be quickly and evenly distributed to every corner of the paint bucket. The design of the heat conduction layer not only improves the efficiency of heat utilization, but also significantly improves the uniformity of heating, avoiding the problem of local overheating or uneven temperature. The heat conduction layer acts as a bridge for heat transfer. Its high thermal conductivity allows the heat generated by the heating element to quickly penetrate the covering layer and directly act on the paint. This efficient heat transfer reduces the loss of heat during the transfer process, improves the heating efficiency, and shortens the heating time.

[0032] In addition, the present application also includes a method for heating optical fiber coating, which uses the aforementioned optical fiber coating heating device, including setting the optical fiber coating heating device on the outside of the coating container, and regulating the temperature of the inside of the flexible covering layer 100 through the heating unit 120 to regulate the temperature of the coating in the coating container. In specific implementation, the method first cleverly sets the optical fiber coating heating device on the outside of the coating container to ensure that the heating device and the coating container are kept at an appropriate distance so as to effectively transfer heat without causing damage to the container. Subsequently, by precisely controlling the output power and working time of the heating unit 120, the temperature inside the flexible covering layer 100 is precisely controlled. Since the flexible covering layer 100 is tightly fitted to the coating container and an efficient heat conduction layer is provided on its inner side, the heat generated by the heating unit 120 can be quickly and evenly transferred to the inside of the coating container, thereby achieving precise control of the coating temperature.

[0033] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present application provides a fiber optic coating heating device and a heating method thereof, which integrates the advantages of high efficiency, energy saving and precise control. The core components of the device include a flexible covering layer, a heating unit, a sensor and a control unit, which work together to achieve efficient regulation of the coating temperature.

[0034] Specifically, as a key component, the flexible cover layer not only has excellent thermal insulation performance and effectively prevents heat loss, but also uses flame-retardant insulating fabrics to enhance safety of use. Heating units are evenly distributed on the inside of the cover layer. These heating units are composed of multiple independent heating elements and are tightly connected to the cover layer through plug-in interfaces, which not only ensures the uniformity of heating, but also facilitates maintenance and replacement. In addition, the flexible cover layer is designed to be flexible and foldable, and contains multiple detachable and connected parts, so that it can flexibly adapt to paint containers of different sizes and shapes, improving the versatility and adaptability of the equipment. The control unit receives the temperature signal of the sensor in real time, accurately adjusts the heating power of the heating unit, realizes precise control of the paint temperature, ensures the uniformity and stability of the paint heating, avoids energy waste, and significantly reduces energy consumption costs.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, firstly, the heating process of the present application is efficient and fast, which effectively shortens the preheating time of the coating and improves production efficiency. Secondly, precise temperature control ensures the consistency of coating quality and avoids problems caused by temperature fluctuations. Thirdly, the design of the thermal insulation layer improves energy utilization efficiency and reduces heat loss. Finally, the flame-retardant insulating fabric and flexible and foldable design enhance the safety and flexibility of the equipment and provide operators with a more comfortable and safe working environment.

[0036] In addition, this application also proposes a method for heating optical fiber coatings based on the heating device, by setting the heating device outside the coating container and using the heating unit to control the temperature inside the flexible covering layer, thereby achieving precise control of the coating temperature in the coating container. This not only simplifies the heating process, but also improves the heating efficiency and quality, providing strong support for the overall efficiency improvement and product quality assurance of the optical fiber production line.

[0037] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, and any other improvements made based on the concept of the present application are deemed to be within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber coating heating device, characterized in that: It comprises a flexible covering layer (100), a heating unit (120), a sensor and a control unit; The flexible covering layer (100) comprises a thermal insulation layer (110), the thermal insulation layer (110) is arranged on the outside of the flexible covering layer (100), and the heating unit (120) is arranged on the inside of the flexible covering layer (100); The control unit is connected to the sensor and the heating unit (120), and the control unit adjusts the heating power of the heating unit (120) according to a signal from the sensor; Wherein, the heating units (120) are evenly distributed in the flexible covering layer (100).

2. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the flexible covering layer (100) is formed by flame-retardant insulating fabric.

3. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible covering layer (100) is flexible and foldable.

4. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flexible cover layer (100) comprises a plurality of detachably connected parts.

5. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating unit (120) is a plurality of independent heating elements.

6. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A mounting component is arranged inside the flexible covering layer (100), and each heating element corresponds to an independent mounting component.

7. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner side of the flexible covering layer (100) comprises an insertion port, and the heating element is connected to the insertion port.

8. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible covering layer (100) further includes a fastening component on the outside.

9. The optical fiber coating heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible cover layer (100) comprises a heat conducting layer on the inner side.

10. A method for heating optical fiber coating, using the optical fiber coating heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The invention comprises arranging an optical fiber coating heating device outside a coating container, and regulating the temperature inside the flexible covering layer (100) through a heating unit (120), thereby regulating the temperature of the coating in the coating container.

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