Device for preparing optical fiber coated by melting and stretching pipe

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber protection, and discloses a pipe fusion stretching coated optical fiber preparation device which comprises a rack, a clamping device for positioning a coated pipe is arranged at the top of the rack, a winding device is arranged at the bottom of the rack, and the winding device is located under the clamping device. The optical fiber sleeved with the wrapping pipe extends out of the lower portion of the clamping device, penetrates through the heating device and is wound in the winding device, and the heating device can move up and down. The device for preparing the optical fiber coated by melting and stretching the pipe can flexibly control the thickness and the length of the coating layer, is suitable for processing various coating materials, and is low in preparation cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber protection, and in particular to a device for preparing a tubular melt-drawn coated optical fiber. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of communication technology and sensor technology, optical fiber has been widely used in communication networks, sensors and other fields due to its high transmission rate, low loss and anti-electromagnetic interference characteristics. In some special environments, such as high voltage, electromagnetic interference and extreme temperature conditions, optical fiber needs to be wrapped in a protective tube to ensure its normal use under harsh conditions.

[0003] In the prior art, the coating method of optical fiber usually adopts coating and melt extrusion coating, but this preparation method often requires the use of special molds, and the equipment is complex and has low flexibility. In each preparation process, only a single thickness of optical fiber coating layer can be prepared, and the preparation length is long, which leads to waste of optical fiber in the coating process and high cost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies of the above-mentioned technology and provide a tube melt-drawn coated optical fiber preparation device, which can flexibly control the thickness and length of the coating layer, is suitable for the processing of various coating materials, and has low preparation cost.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the tube melt-stretched coated optical fiber preparation device involved in the present invention includes a frame, a clamping device for positioning the coated tube is provided on the top of the frame, and a winding device is provided at the bottom of the frame. The winding device is located directly below the clamping device, so that the entire device is placed vertically and melt-stretched longitudinally to avoid the influence of gravity on the stretching effect. The optical fiber coated with the coated tube extends from below the clamping device through the heating device and is wound in the winding device. The heating device can move up and down, and the winding device fixes the coated tube to ensure that the coated tube and the optical fiber can always remain in a vertical state during the preparation process, prevent the coated tube from sticking to the inside of the heating device, and make the coating more uniform.

[0006] Preferably, the relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Where R0 is the initial outer diameter radius of the coated tube, r0 is the initial inner diameter radius of the coated tube, R1 is the outer diameter radius of the coated tube after melting and forming, r1 is the inner diameter radius of the coated tube after melting and forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device, v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber, and the coated tube is in a molten stable stretching state. The melting length of the initial end of the coated tube within time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, The speed of the heating device and the winding speed of the winding device can be calculated in advance before preparation, so as to prepare a coating layer that meets the processing requirements.

[0007] Preferably, the winding device is connected to a first servo motor for driving the winding device to rotate, and a speed reduction device is provided between the first servo motor and the winding device.

[0008] Preferably, the deceleration device includes a first reduction gear group installed on the first servo motor and a second reduction gear group installed on the winding device, and the reduction ratio is 10 to 100. The first reduction gear group and the second reduction gear group are connected by a transmission rod arranged on a bearing to avoid uneven speed due to too low speed of the first servo motor, thereby ensuring that the winding device can smoothly wind up the optical fiber and improving the stability of the system.

[0009] Preferably, a ceramic heating tube is provided inside the heating device, and the heating range is room temperature to 400°C. A heat conducting tube is sheathed inside the ceramic heating tube, and the heat conducting tube is 80 to 100 mm long. The heat conducting tube is wrapped with insulation felt outside to reduce heat loss.

[0010] Preferably, glass tubes are extended at both ends of the heat-conducting tube, which can reduce thermal shock and thus improve the yield rate of optical fiber coating. One end of the glass tube is fixedly bonded to the heat-conducting tube by graphite glue, and the other end is provided with a shrinking nozzle, which can make the optical fiber and the coating material be located in the center of the heating device to achieve centering and prevent them from being too close to the inner wall of the heating device.

[0011] Preferably, a slide is provided on the side of the frame, the heating device is installed on the slide through a bracket, the slide is installed on a vertical screw rod, the screw rod is installed on the slide, and a second servo motor for driving the screw rod to rotate is provided on the slide.

[0012] Preferably, a diameter detection device for detecting the diameter of the optical fiber coated tube is provided below the heating device, which can detect the coating thickness in real time and feed back to the controller, thereby controlling the coating thickness by adjusting the motor speed, so that the finished product can better meet the processing requirements.

[0013] Preferably, the frame is provided with a tension detection device for measuring the tension of the optical fiber coated with the tube on the winding device, and the tension of the optical fiber is measured in real time to keep the tension of the optical fiber in a constant state. When the optical fiber coating has defects, the tension will change, and the equipment will issue an alarm notification in time, so that the operator can deal with the problem in time.

[0014] Preferably, the frame is provided with a power supply and a control device for driving and adjusting various devices, including a driver, a controller and an encoder, which drives and adjusts the servo motor.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. Through the melt-drawing technology, the optical fiber is directly coated in the tube in the molten state, which can be applied to the processing of various coating materials with low preparation cost;

[0017] 2. The thickness and length of the coating layer can be flexibly controlled, and the material is easy to obtain, which effectively reduces the preparation cost of the optical fiber coating. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the medium reduction gear;

[0020] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of melt-stretching coating of coated pipe.

[0021] The components in the figure are numbered as follows:

[0022] Frame 1, coated tube 2, clamping device 3, winding device 4, optical fiber 5, heating device 6, first servo motor 7, reduction device 8, first reduction gear set 9, second reduction gear set 10, bearing 11, transmission rod 12, slide frame 13, bracket 14, slide 15, screw 16, second servo motor 17, diameter detection device 18, tension detection device 19, driver 20, controller 21, encoder 22, power supply 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in each embodiment of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, a device for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber comprises a frame 1, a clamping device 3 for positioning the coated tube 2 is provided on the top of the frame 1, a winding device 4 is provided on the bottom of the frame 1, and the winding device 4 is located directly below the clamping device 3. An optical fiber 5 coated with the coated tube 2 extends from below the clamping device 3, passes through a heating device 6, and is wound in the winding device 4. The heating device 6 can move up and down.

[0026] Combination Figure 3As shown, when this embodiment is used, the relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber 5 and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Where R0 is the initial outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2, r0 is the initial inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2, R1 is the outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, r1 is the inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device 6, v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber 5, and the coated tube 2 is in a molten stable stretching state. The melting length of the initial end of the coated tube 2 in time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, The speed of the heating device 6 and the winding speed of the winding device 4 can be calculated in advance before preparation, so as to prepare a coating layer that meets the processing requirements.

[0027] Example 2

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, a device for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber comprises a frame 1, a clamping device 3 for positioning the coated tube 2 is provided on the top of the frame 1, a winding device 4 is provided on the bottom of the frame 1, and the winding device 4 is located directly below the clamping device 3. An optical fiber 5 coated with the coated tube 2 extends from below the clamping device 3, passes through a heating device 6, and is wound in the winding device 4. The heating device 6 can move up and down.

[0029] Combination Figure 3 As shown, when this embodiment is used, the relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber 5 and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Where R0 is the initial outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2, r0 is the initial inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2, R1 is the outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, r1 is the inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device 6, v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber 5, and the coated tube 2 is in a molten stable stretching state. The melting length of the initial end of the coated tube 2 in time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, The speed of the heating device 6 and the winding speed of the winding device 4 can be calculated in advance before preparation, so as to prepare a coating layer that meets the processing requirements.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the winding device 4 is connected to a first servo motor 7 for driving the winding device 4 to rotate, and a reduction device 8 is provided between the first servo motor 7 and the winding device 4. The reduction device 8 includes a first reduction gear group 9 installed on the first servo motor 7 and a second reduction gear group 10 installed on the winding device 4. The reduction ratio is 10 to 100. The first reduction gear group 9 and the second reduction gear group 10 are connected by a transmission rod 12 provided on a bearing 11.

[0031] Example 3

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, a device for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber comprises a frame 1, a clamping device 3 for positioning the coated tube 2 is provided on the top of the frame 1, a winding device 4 is provided on the bottom of the frame 1, and the winding device 4 is located directly below the clamping device 3. An optical fiber 5 coated with the coated tube 2 extends from below the clamping device 3, passes through a heating device 6, and is wound in the winding device 4. The heating device 6 can move up and down.

[0033] Combination Figure 3 As shown, when this embodiment is used, the relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber 5 and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Where R0 is the initial outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2, r0 is the initial inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2, R1 is the outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, r1 is the inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device 6, v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber 5, and the coated tube 2 is in a molten stable stretching state. The melting length of the initial end of the coated tube 2 in time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, The speed of the heating device 6 and the winding speed of the winding device 4 can be calculated in advance before preparation, so as to prepare a coating layer that meets the processing requirements.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the winding device 4 is connected to a first servo motor 7 that drives it to rotate, and a reduction device 8 is provided between the first servo motor 7 and the winding device 4. The reduction device 8 includes a first reduction gear group 9 installed on the first servo motor 7 and a second reduction gear group 10 installed on the winding device 4. The reduction ratio is 10 to 100. The first reduction gear group 9 and the second reduction gear group 10 are connected by a transmission rod 12 provided on a bearing 11.

[0035] In this embodiment, a ceramic heating tube is provided inside the heating device 6, and the heating range is room temperature to 400°C. A heat conducting tube is sleeved inside the ceramic heating tube, and the heat conducting tube is 80 to 100 mm long. The outside of the heat conducting tube is wrapped with thermal insulation felt. Glass tubes are extended at both ends of the heat conducting tube. One end of the glass tube is fixedly bonded to the heat conducting tube by graphite glue, and the other end is provided with a shrink nozzle.

[0036] Example 4

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, a device for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber comprises a frame 1, a clamping device 3 for positioning the coated tube 2 is provided on the top of the frame 1, a winding device 4 is provided on the bottom of the frame 1, and the winding device 4 is located directly below the clamping device 3. An optical fiber 5 coated with the coated tube 2 extends from below the clamping device 3, passes through a heating device 6, and is wound in the winding device 4. The heating device 6 can move up and down.

[0038] Combination Figure 3As shown, when this embodiment is used, the relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber 5 and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Where R0 is the initial outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2, r0 is the initial inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2, R1 is the outer diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, r1 is the inner diameter radius of the coated tube 2 after melting and forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device 6, v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber 5, and the coated tube 2 is in a molten stable stretching state. The melting length of the initial end of the coated tube 2 in time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, The speed of the heating device 6 and the winding speed of the winding device 4 can be calculated in advance before preparation, so as to prepare a coating layer that meets the processing requirements.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the winding device 4 is connected to a first servo motor 7 for driving the winding device 4 to rotate, and a reduction device 8 is provided between the first servo motor 7 and the winding device 4. The reduction device 8 includes a first reduction gear group 9 installed on the first servo motor 7 and a second reduction gear group 10 installed on the winding device 4. The reduction ratio is 10 to 100. The first reduction gear group 9 and the second reduction gear group 10 are connected by a transmission rod 12 provided on a bearing 11.

[0040] In this embodiment, a ceramic heating tube is provided inside the heating device 6, and the heating range is room temperature to 400°C. A heat conducting tube is sleeved inside the ceramic heating tube, and the heat conducting tube is 80 to 100 mm long. The outside of the heat conducting tube is wrapped with thermal insulation felt. Glass tubes are extended at both ends of the heat conducting tube. One end of the glass tube is fixedly bonded to the heat conducting tube by graphite glue, and the other end is provided with a shrink nozzle.

[0041] In addition, the heating tube is equipped with a platinum resistor, which can transmit temperature information back to the thermostat for temperature monitoring and control.

[0042] In this embodiment, a slide 13 is provided on the side of the frame 1, the heating device 6 is installed on the slide 15 through the bracket 14, the slide 15 is installed on the vertical screw rod 16, the screw rod 16 is installed on the slide 13, and the slide 13 is provided with a second servo motor 17 for driving the screw rod 16 to rotate.

[0043] In the above embodiment, a diameter detection device 18 for detecting the diameter of the optical fiber after being coated with the tube may be provided below the heating device 6, and a tension detection device 19 for measuring the tension of the optical fiber 5 coated with the tube on the winding device 4 may be provided on the frame 1.

[0044] Finally, the rack 1 is provided with a power supply 23 to drive and adjust the control device of each device, including a driver 20, a controller 21 and an encoder 22, to control the operation of each device.

[0045] The tube melt-stretched coated optical fiber preparation device of the present invention is used for the coating tube 2 for melt-coating the optical fiber 5, including but not limited to a slender tube made of polyetheretherketone, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyaryletherketone and other materials with an outer diameter of less than 2 mm, and can be used to coat optical fibers including but not limited to quartz optical fibers, composite optical fibers, plastic optical fibers, etc.

[0046] The apparatus for preparing optical fiber coated by tube melt-drawing of the present invention directly coats the optical fiber 5 in a tube in a molten state through melt-drawing technology, and can be applied to the processing of various coating materials with low preparation cost; the thickness and length of the coating layer can be flexibly controlled, and the material is easy to obtain, which effectively reduces the preparation cost of optical fiber coating.

[0047] It should be noted that the description of the above technical solutions is exemplary, and this specification can be embodied in different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the technical solutions set forth herein. On the contrary, providing these descriptions will make the disclosure of the present invention thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope disclosed in this specification to those skilled in the art. In addition, the technical solutions of the present invention are limited only by the scope of the claims.

[0048] For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the above structures should be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber, comprising a frame (1), characterized in that: The top of the frame (1) is provided with a clamping device (3) for positioning the coated tube (2), and the bottom of the frame (1) is provided with a winding device (4), and the winding device (4) is located directly below the clamping device (3). The optical fiber (5) covered with the coated tube (2) extends from below the clamping device (3), passes through a heating device (6), and is wound in the winding device (4), and the heating device (6) can move up and down.

2. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The relationship between the moving speed of the optical fiber (5) and the size of the prepared cladding layer satisfies: Wherein R0 is the outer radius of the initial coated tube (2), r0 is the inner radius of the initial coated tube (2), R1 is the outer radius of the coated tube (2) after melt forming, r1 is the inner radius of the coated tube (2) after melt forming, v0 is the moving speed of the heating device (6), v1 is the moving speed of the optical fiber (5), and when the coated tube (2) is in a melted stable stretching state, the melting length of the initial end of the coated tube (2) within time t is L0, and the stretching length is L1, that is, 3. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The winding device (4) is connected to a first servo motor (7) for driving the winding device to rotate, and a speed reduction device (8) is provided between the first servo motor (7) and the winding device (4).

4. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The deceleration device (8) comprises a first deceleration gear set (9) mounted on the first servo motor (7) and a second deceleration gear set (10) mounted on the winding device (4), the deceleration ratio being 10 to 100, and the first deceleration gear set (9) and the second deceleration gear set (10) being connected via a transmission rod (12) disposed on a bearing (11).

5. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device (6) is provided with a ceramic heating tube inside, and the heating range is from room temperature to 400° C. The ceramic heating tube is sheathed with a heat conducting tube, the heat conducting tube is 80 to 100 mm long, and the heat conducting tube is wrapped with heat insulating felt outside.

6. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: Glass tubes are extended at both ends of the heat-conducting tube. One end of the glass tube is fixedly bonded to the heat-conducting tube by graphite glue, and the other end is provided with a shrinking nozzle.

7. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A slide frame (13) is provided on the side of the frame (1); the heating device (6) is mounted on the slide frame (15) via a bracket (14); the slide frame (15) is mounted on a vertical screw rod (16); the screw rod (16) is mounted on the slide frame (13); and a second servo motor (17) is provided on the slide frame (13) for driving the screw rod (16) to rotate.

8. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A diameter detection device (18) for detecting the diameter of the optical fiber after being coated on the tubing is provided below the heating device (6).

9. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with a tension detection device (19) for measuring the tension of the optical fiber (5) coated with a tube on the winding device (4).

10. The apparatus for preparing a tube-molten-drawn coated optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with a power supply (23) and a control device for driving and adjusting various devices, including a driver (20), a controller (21) and an encoder (22).

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