Optical cable welding workbench with automatic alignment structure

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical cable welding workbench with an automatic alignment structure, relates to the technical field of optical cable welding, and aims at an optical cable welding process, takes a discharge heating principle as a basis, takes a lead half-tube groove as a fixing structure of an optical cable body, avoids a position adjustment action in a Y-direction position, only performs a position adjustment action in an X-direction position, and improves the welding efficiency. The method is characterized in that two sections of optical cable bodies are wrapped by liquid drops formed by liquid such as absolute ethyl alcohol, the two sections of optical cable bodies are preliminarily positioned by using water tension of the liquid, and then the positions of the optical cable bodies in the X direction are limited by using opposite airflow formed by inert protective gas; finally, the inert protective gas blown from bottom to top is mainly utilized to be aligned with the absolute ethyl alcohol in weight, it is guaranteed that the absolute ethyl alcohol is in a suspended state, and it is guaranteed that the absolute ethyl alcohol does not interfere the welding process and the welding quality is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of optical cable fusion splicing, and in particular to an optical cable fusion splicing workbench with an automatic alignment structure. Background Art

[0002] Optical cable fusion is a delicate job. Its essence is to melt the ends of optical fibers by means of arc heating or the like so that they can be naturally combined in a liquid state. Please refer to the relevant contents in publication number CN108152894A.

[0003] The fusion splicing process needs to avoid problems such as misalignment and unstable docking. For this purpose, the visual analysis principle is mainly used to perform automatic docking in the X / Y direction to ensure that the two sections of optical fiber are automatically aligned. However, it should be noted that during the period from the melting of the two sections of optical fiber to the natural cooling and combination, problems such as bubbles and cracks may appear at the fusion joint, or problems such as the fusion joint being too thick or the joint being too thin may occur. According to the principle of optical fiber signal conduction, such problems directly affect the quality of optical fiber signal transmission, specifically due to problems such as the temperature conversion process, the difference in optical fiber feed amount or pushing speed, or the problem of poor mechanical strength after fusion. Conventional fusion splicing equipment specifically focuses on the alignment process and cannot better control the fusion quality. This application proposes a solution. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical cable fusion workbench with an automatic alignment structure, which is aimed at the optical cable fusion process. Because its essence is a process in which two sections of optical fiber are heated and melted and then naturally cooled and combined, the optical fiber fusion may have poor fusion quality and affect the quality of optical fiber signal transmission, which is specifically manifested in: differences in parameters such as temperature changes, optical fiber feeding amount, and pushing speed.

[0005] The object of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical scheme: an optical cable fusion splicing workbench with an automatic alignment structure comprises an upper housing and a lower housing, wherein working components are arranged in the upper housing and the lower housing, and the working components comprise an upper pressing frame, a lower supporting frame, a horizontal feeding module, and a discharge module;

[0006] A conductor half-tube groove is installed in the outer wall of one side where the upper pressing frame and the lower supporting frame are close to each other. The conductor half-tube groove is combined to form an optical cable orientation groove and the optical cable body is placed inside the groove. The discharge module is symmetrically arranged along the length direction perpendicular to the optical cable body, and a discharge electrode is installed at the position of the discharge module corresponding to the optical cable body.

[0007] A vertical liquid drop module is installed in the upper housing, a downstream air supply module is installed in the lower housing, and a liquid drop needle and an air blowing pipe are installed at positions of the vertical liquid drop module and the downstream air supply module corresponding to the optical cable body, respectively.

[0008] It is further configured as follows: the upper pressing frame and the lower supporting frame are respectively mounted on the upper casing and the lower casing, and the upper pressing frame and the lower supporting frame are symmetrically arranged along the length direction of the optical cable body.

[0009] It is further configured as follows: a horizontal feed-in module is installed on the upper shell, the upper pressure frame is slidably connected in the upper shell along the length direction of the optical cable body through the horizontal feed-in module, and the setting positions of the upper pressure frame and the lower supporting frame correspond to each other, a fixing pin assembly is arranged between the upper pressure frame and the lower supporting frame, and the lower supporting frame is slidably connected in the lower shell along the length direction of the optical cable body through the fixing pin assembly and the upper pressure frame.

[0010] It is further configured as follows: a convection air supply module is installed in the upper shell, and an air leakage port is opened between the wire half-tube groove installed in the upper pressure frame and the outer wall on one side close to the upper pressure frame. The convection air supply module performs convection air supply on the optical cable body through the upper pressure frame, the air leakage port and the wire half-tube groove.

[0011] It is further configured that: a camera monitoring module is installed at the position of the dripping needle and the air blowing tube corresponding to the optical cable body.

[0012] It is further configured that: the inner diameter of the optical cable orientation groove is greater than the outer diameter of the optical cable body.

[0013] It is further configured as follows: the dripping needle and the air blowing tube are arranged opposite to each other along the Z direction, the optical cable body in the optical cable orientation groove is arranged opposite to each other along the X direction, and the two discharge electrodes are arranged opposite to each other along the Y direction.

[0014] It is further configured that: the butt joint of the two sections of the optical cable body, the midpoint between the two discharge electrodes, and the midpoint between the drip needle and the air blowing tube are at the same point.

[0015] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. For the optical cable welding process, based on the principle of discharge heating, the difference from the alignment method in the conventional welding process is that the conductor half-tube groove is used as the fixed structure of the optical cable body. In the initial state, the position between the conductor half-tube groove and the discharge electrode along the Y direction is stable, thereby eliminating the position adjustment action in the Y direction. Only the position adjustment action in the X direction is performed. It is only necessary to ensure that the two sections of the optical cable body move in opposite directions along the X direction to achieve the purpose of stabilizing the welding position;

[0017] 2. The key to the present invention is to wrap the two sections of the optical cable body with droplets formed by liquid such as anhydrous ethanol. Its essence is to use the water tension of the liquid to preliminarily position the two sections of the optical cable body, and then use the counter-flow formed by the inert protective gas to limit the position of the optical cable body in the X direction. Finally, the inert protective gas blown from bottom to top is mainly used to align the weight of the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol to ensure that the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol is in a suspended state. The purpose is to ensure that the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol does not interfere with the welding process and ensure the welding quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an optical cable fusion workbench with an automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 The optical cable welding workbench with automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention Figure 1 The expanded diagram of

[0021] Figure 3 The optical cable welding workbench with automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention Figure 2 sectional view of

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the working components in the optical cable fusion workbench with an automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 The optical cable welding workbench with automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention Figure 4 Structural schematic diagram of the middle and upper pressure frame;

[0024] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of an upper pressing frame and a lower supporting frame in an optical cable fusion workbench with an automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the working components in the optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure proposed by the present invention.

[0026] In the figure: 1. upper casing; 2. wire half-pipe groove; 3. lower casing; 4. lower support frame; 5. upper pressure frame; 6. discharge electrode; 7. discharge module; 8. downstream air supply module; 9. convection air supply module; 10. horizontal feed module; 11. vertical liquid drop module; 12. drip needle; 13. air leakage port; 14. air blowing pipe; 15. video monitoring module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Embodiment 1: With regard to the optical cable fusion process, since it is essentially a process of two sections of optical fiber being heated and melted and then naturally cooled and combined, the optical fiber fusion may have poor fusion quality and affect the optical fiber signal transmission quality, which is specifically manifested in: temperature changes, fiber feed amount, pushing speed and other parameters. The following technical solutions are proposed:

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The optical cable fusion workbench with an automatic alignment structure in this embodiment includes an upper housing 1 and a lower housing 3, and working components are arranged in the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 3. The working components include an upper pressing frame 5, a lower supporting frame 4, a horizontal feeding module 10, and a discharge module 7;

[0030] A conductor half-tube groove 2 is installed in the outer wall of one side where the upper pressing frame 5 and the lower supporting frame 4 are close to each other. The conductor half-tube groove 2 is combined to form an optical cable directional groove and the inside of the groove is used to place the optical cable body. The discharge module 7 is symmetrically arranged along the length direction of the vertical optical cable body, and the discharge electrode 6 is installed at the position of the discharge module 7 corresponding to the optical cable body.

[0031] A vertical liquid drop module 11 is installed in the upper casing 1, and a downstream air supply module 8 is installed in the lower casing 3. A drip needle 12 and an air blowing pipe 14 are respectively installed at the positions of the vertical liquid drop module 11 and the downstream air supply module 8 corresponding to the optical cable body. The upper pressure frame 5 and the lower support frame 4 are respectively installed on the upper casing 1 and the lower casing 3, and the upper pressure frame 5 and the lower support frame 4 are symmetrically arranged along the length direction of the optical cable body. A horizontal feeding module 10 is installed on the upper casing 1. The upper pressure frame 5 is slidably connected in the upper casing 1 along the length direction of the optical cable body through the horizontal feeding module 10, and the setting positions of the upper pressure frame 5 and the lower support frame 4 correspond to each other. A fixed pin assembly is arranged between the upper pressure frame 5 and the lower support frame 4, and the lower support frame 4 is slidably connected in the lower casing 3 along the length direction of the optical cable body through the fixed pin assembly and the upper pressure frame 5.

[0032] Basic principle: The explanation for optical cable welding is: first, use a welding knife to strip off the insulation layer and conductor layer of the optical cable to expose the internal conductor, and cut the two ends of the optical fiber inside the optical cable to a relatively flat state, align the conductors of the two optical cables to ensure that there is no misalignment between them, and use the high-voltage discharge heating principle to heat the two sections of optical cable fibers to a molten state, so that they fuse together to form a solid connection. This part is the basic principle of optical cable welding. The discharge electrode 6 and the discharge module 7 in the present invention are mainly used to represent the high-voltage discharge heating process during the welding process;

[0033] It should be noted that: the present invention specifically fixes the optical cable through the conductor half-tube groove 2. After the optical cable is placed in the conductor half-tube groove 2, the optical cable body can be directly "fixed" to be arranged along the X direction. The purpose is to ensure the relative position between the two sections of the optical cable body and the discharge electrode 6, so that when the optical cable body is oriented and aligned, the position adjustment action in the Y direction is directly eliminated. It is only necessary to adjust the position of the lower support frame 4 in the X direction through the horizontal feeding module 10. The X-direction position adjustment process is specifically the process of driving the upper pressing frame 5 to move in the X direction through the horizontal feeding module 10. Its essence is to only drive the upper pressing frame 5 to move in the X direction.

[0034] However, after the upper housing 1 and the lower housing 3 are closed, the upper pressing frame 5 is completely locked with the lower supporting frame 4 through the fixed pin assembly, so that when the upper pressing frame 5 moves in the X direction, the lower supporting frame 4 will also move in the X direction. The essence of the directional assembly is a plurality of directional pins, which match the lower supporting frame 4 to ensure that the upper pressing frame 5 and the lower supporting frame 4 and the two conductor half-tube grooves 2 are formed into one body. During operation, the two upper pressing frames 5 are driven to move in opposite directions through the horizontal feed module 10 to ensure that the exposed optical fibers in the optical cable bodies at both ends are fully in contact with each other. The specific structure of the horizontal feed module 10 is not described in detail in the present invention.

[0035] Embodiment 2: Based on the technical solution of embodiment 1, the following alignment method is optimized:

[0036] A convection air supply module 9 is installed in the upper casing 1, and an air leakage port 13 is opened between the conductor half-tube groove 2 installed in the upper pressure frame 5 and the outer wall of one side close to the upper pressure frame 5. The convection air supply module 9 performs convection air supply on the optical cable body through the upper pressure frame 5, the air leakage port 13 and the conductor half-tube groove 2. A camera monitoring module 15 is installed at the position of the dripping needle 12 and the blowing pipe 14 corresponding to the optical cable body. The inner diameter of the optical cable directional groove is larger than the outer diameter of the optical cable body. The dripping needle 12 and the blowing pipe 14 are arranged opposite to each other along the Z direction, the optical cable body in the optical cable directional groove is arranged opposite to each other along the X direction, and the two discharge electrodes 6 are arranged opposite to each other along the Y direction. The docking point of the two sections of the optical cable body, the midpoint close to the two discharge electrodes 6, and the midpoint close to the dripping needle 12 and the blowing pipe 14 are at the same point position.

[0037] Solution description: In the conventional optical cable welding process, the main thing is to adjust the position of the optical cable body in the X direction and the Y direction. As described in the related content of the first embodiment, the present invention does not need to adjust the position in the Y direction, but only in the X direction. However, the key content of the present invention is that after the optical cable body is fixed by the conductor half-tube groove 2, the inert protective gas can be continuously injected into the conductor half-tube groove 2 through the convection air supply module 9 and the air leakage port 13. The specific performance is as follows: Figure 7 The butt joint of the optical fibers in the two sections of the optical cable body just matches the midpoint of the two discharge electrodes 6, but the key is that the convection gas supply module 9 is essentially to continuously blow out the inert protective gas, and the inert protective gas is blown out along the conductor half-tube groove 2 and mainly acts on the positions of the optical fibers of the two sections of the optical cable, which is specifically manifested as follows:

[0038] The blowing direction of the inert protective gas in the two conductor half-tube grooves 2 is along the butt joint position of the two sections of optical cable optical fibers. The specific reason is that the pipeline inside the optical cable body is relatively soft, so the flow process of the inert protective gas can be used to promote the alignment of the optical fibers inside the two sections of the optical cable. It should also be explained that after the optical cable body is placed in the conductor half-tube groove 2, the conductor half-tube groove 2 far away from the end of the discharge electrode 6 is in full contact with the optical cable body. The purpose is to ensure that the end of the conductor half-tube groove 2 is in a relatively closed state on the basis of ensuring the fixing of the optical cable body.

[0039] However, it should be noted that the alignment effect of relying solely on inert protective gas is insufficient. For this reason, the present invention also utilizes the vertical liquid drop module 11. The essence of the vertical liquid drop module 11 is a liquid storage / release structure. Considering that the optical fiber of the optical cable will not touch water during fusion splicing, the liquid stored in the vertical liquid drop module 11 should be anhydrous ethanol or other liquid. After the two sections of the optical fiber of the optical cable are fully in contact, the vertical liquid drop module 11 drips a very small amount of anhydrous ethanol downward. The anhydrous ethanol is mainly attached to the optical fiber of the optical cable. Its essence is to use the effect of water tension to ensure that the internal optical fibers of the two sections of the optical cable are fully aligned. When the two discharge electrodes 6 are discharged and heated by the discharge module 7, the heat generated by the discharge heating will instantly evaporate the anhydrous ethanol, so that the heat will still act on the internal optical fibers of the two sections of the optical cable to promote fusion butt jointing. The anhydrous ethanol is mainly used to position the two sections of the optical fiber of the optical cable but will not interfere with the subsequent heating and fusion butt jointing process.

[0040] It is further necessary to explain that: the optical fiber inside the optical cable is relatively soft. When anhydrous ethanol forms a droplet shape and remains at the joint point of the two sections of optical cable optical fiber, the gravity of the anhydrous ethanol itself will also affect the curvature of the optical cable body. For this reason, it is necessary to add a downstream air supply module 8 directly below the vertical drop module 11 to further ensure that the drip needle 12 and the air blowing pipe 14 are arranged in an up-down alignment manner. The downstream air supply module 8 blows out an inert protective gas toward the upper side through the air blowing pipe 14. The gas blown upward by the downstream air supply module 8 forms a downward force for the anhydrous ethanol, and the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol move upward under the action of the downward force.

[0041] The specific purpose is to ensure that the droplets formed by anhydrous ethanol are in a suspended state, that is, to ensure that the droplets formed by anhydrous ethanol provide water tension to the optical fibers in the two sections of the optical cable body, and also to achieve the convection positioning effect formed by the convection air supply module 9 through the two conductor half-tube grooves 2. The key is: further support the droplets formed by anhydrous ethanol through the downstream air supply module 8 to ensure that the two ends of the two sections of the optical cable body are fully aligned without affecting the subsequent discharge heating action.

[0042] Embodiment 3: The following supplementary explanation is provided in combination with Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2:

[0043] As in the conventional optical cable welding process, a visual detection process is added during the welding process. The key of the present invention is the video monitoring module 15 provided for the droplet needle 12 and the air blowing tube 14. The essence of the video monitoring module 15 is to observe the relative positions of the optical fibers inside the two sections of the optical cable body through a high-definition camera. The key lies in real-time detection of the droplets formed by anhydrous ethanol. The essence is that the droplets formed by anhydrous ethanol will first be affected by the inert protective gas flow formed in the conductor half-tube groove 2.

[0044] In this state, it is mainly used to ensure that the airflow pressure formed by the inert protective gas airflow in the two conductor half-tube grooves 2 is equal, so as to coordinate the airflow pressure and water tension to align the optical cable body. In addition, the airflow pressure formed by the downstream air replenishment module 8 should be balanced with the gravity of the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol, which ensures that the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol will not fall naturally. The key is to coordinate the airflow pressure in the downstream air replenishment module 8 so that the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol still maintain a complete circle. Specifically, the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol are maintained by controlling the airflow pressure in the downstream air replenishment module 8. In the subsequent discharge heating process, the droplets formed by the anhydrous ethanol are evaporated and disappear by high temperature, so as not to affect the optical cable welding process.

[0045] In summary, for the optical cable welding process, the discharge heating principle is used as the basis, and the conductor half-tube groove is used as the fixed structure of the optical cable body, thereby eliminating the position adjustment action in the Y direction, and only performing the position adjustment action in the X direction. The key content is: the two sections of the optical cable body are wrapped with droplets formed by liquids such as anhydrous ethanol, and the water tension of the liquid is used to preliminarily position the two sections of the optical cable body, and then the counter-flow formed by the inert protective gas is used to limit the position of the optical cable body in the X direction. Finally, the inert protective gas blown from bottom to top is mainly used to align with the weight of the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol to ensure that the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol is in a suspended state. The purpose is to ensure that the liquid such as anhydrous ethanol does not interfere with the welding process and ensure the welding quality.

[0046] The above contents are merely examples and explanations of the structure of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described or replace them in similar ways.

[0047] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "example", "specific example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are only used to help explain the present invention. The preferred embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to specific implementation methods. Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made according to the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present invention, so that those skilled in the art can understand and use the present invention well.

Claims

1. An optical cable fusion splicing workbench with an automatic alignment structure, comprising an upper housing (1) and a lower housing (3), characterized in that: The upper housing (1) and the lower housing (3) are provided with working components, the working components comprising an upper pressing frame (5), a lower supporting frame (4), a horizontal feeding module (10), and a discharge module (7); A conductor half-tube groove (2) is installed in the outer wall of one side of the upper pressing frame (5) and the lower supporting frame (4) close to each other, the conductor half-tube groove (2) is combined to form an optical cable orientation groove and the interior of the optical cable body is used to place the optical cable body, the discharge module (7) is symmetrically arranged along the length direction perpendicular to the optical cable body, and a discharge electrode (6) is installed at the position of the discharge module (7) corresponding to the optical cable body; A vertical liquid drop module (11) is installed in the upper housing (1), a downstream air supply module (8) is installed in the lower housing (3), and a liquid drop needle (12) and an air blowing pipe (14) are respectively installed at positions of the vertical liquid drop module (11) and the downstream air supply module (8) corresponding to the optical cable body.

2. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The upper pressing frame (5) and the lower supporting frame (4) are respectively mounted on the upper casing (1) and the lower casing (3), and the upper pressing frame (5) and the lower supporting frame (4) are symmetrically arranged along the length direction of the optical cable body.

3. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A horizontal feed-in module (10) is installed on the upper housing (1); the upper pressing frame (5) is slidably connected in the upper housing (1) along the length direction of the optical cable body through the horizontal feed-in module (10); the upper pressing frame (5) and the lower supporting frame (4) are arranged at corresponding positions; a fixed pin assembly is arranged between the upper pressing frame (5) and the lower supporting frame (4); and the lower supporting frame (4) is slidably connected in the lower housing (3) along the length direction of the optical cable body through the fixed pin assembly and the upper pressing frame (5).

4. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A convection air supply module (9) is installed in the upper housing (1), and an air leakage port (13) is provided between a conductor half-tube groove (2) installed in the upper pressure frame (5) and an outer wall of the upper pressure frame (5) on one side thereof. The convection air supply module (9) performs convection air supply on the optical cable body through the upper pressure frame (5), the air leakage port (13) and the conductor half-tube groove (2).

5. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 4 is characterized in that: A video surveillance module (15) is installed at positions of the dripping needle (12) and the blowing tube (14) corresponding to the optical cable body.

6. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The inner diameter of the optical cable orientation groove is larger than the outer diameter of the optical cable body.

7. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The dripping needle (12) and the air blowing tube (14) are arranged opposite to each other along the Z direction, the optical cable body in the optical cable orientation groove is arranged opposite to each other along the X direction, and the two discharge electrodes (6) are arranged opposite to each other along the Y direction.

8. The optical cable fusion workbench with automatic alignment structure according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The butt joint of the two sections of the optical cable body, the midpoint between the two discharge electrodes (6), and the midpoint between the drip needle (12) and the air blowing tube (14) are located at the same point.

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