Optical fiber drawing equipment and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber manufacturing, in particular to optical fiber drawing equipment and method.The equipment comprises a rod hanging mechanism, a displacement compensation mechanism, a heating furnace, a position measuring instrument, a coating mechanism and a take-up mechanism, and the rod hanging mechanism is used for clamping an optical rod and enabling the optical rod to rotate around the axis of the optical rod; the displacement compensation mechanism is connected with the rod hanging mechanism and is used for driving the rod hanging mechanism to deviate; the heating furnace is arranged below the rod hanging mechanism and is used for heating the optical rods; the position measuring instrument is arranged at an outlet of the heating furnace and is used for measuring the offset of the axis of the drawn optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace; the coating mechanism is arranged below the position measuring instrument and is used for coating the surface of the optical fiber; the take-up mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the coating mechanism and used for winding the coated optical fiber. When the offset exceeds a threshold value, the displacement compensation mechanism drives the rod hanging mechanism to return, so that the axis of the optical fiber and the axis of the heating furnace are kept collinear again, and it is ensured that the horizontal position of the conical head does not deviate during rotation.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, traditional fiber drawing equipment typically uses vertical rod feeding for drawing, with preform alignment adjusted manually. This manual operation is subject to large errors and relies heavily on operator experience. Furthermore, the low precision of manual offset adjustment can easily lead to fiber breakage during drawing. When position offset is detected and adjusted, the offset typically exceeds 1000μm, resulting in delayed adjustment and impacting fiber uniformity. Due to the influence of alignment and airflow within the furnace, the preform is heated unevenly, resulting in large cladding out-of-roundness. Furthermore, due to the material asymmetry and stress asymmetry of the optical fiber itself, the fiber end face is actually an ellipse that approximates a perfect circle. During drawing, the uneven distribution of residual mechanical stress within the fiber leads to large polarization mode dispersion (PMD). To improve polarization mode dispersion (PMD), traditional processes require applying external force to the fiber through mechanical twisting after coating. This damages the fiber, reduces tensile strength, and increases the risk of fiber breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application provides an optical fiber drawing device and method to solve the problems in the prior art of uneven heating of optical fiber preform rods, such as large cladding non-circularity, manual intervention to adjust the alignment of the preform rods, low control accuracy and adjustment lag.

[0004] In one aspect, the present application provides an optical fiber drawing device, comprising:

[0005] The rod hanging mechanism is used to clamp the light rod and make it rotate around its own axis;

[0006] A displacement compensation mechanism is connected to the hanging rod mechanism and is used to drive the hanging rod mechanism to deflect;

[0007] The heating furnace is arranged below the rod hanging mechanism and is used to heat the light rod;

[0008] A position measuring instrument is provided at the outlet of the heating furnace and is used to measure the offset of the axis of the drawn optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace;

[0009] A coating mechanism, disposed below the position measuring instrument, for coating the surface of the optical fiber;

[0010] The take-up mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the coating mechanism and is used to take up the coated optical fiber.

[0011] In one possible design, the hanging rod mechanism includes:

[0012] Hanging rod platform;

[0013] The rod hanging cylinder is rotatably mounted on the rod hanging platform, and a threaded hole is opened on the side wall of the rod hanging cylinder, and an adjusting screw is installed at the threaded hole;

[0014] The rotary driver is connected to the rod hanging barrel in a transmission manner and is used for driving the rod hanging barrel to rotate around its own axis.

[0015] In one possible design, a through hole is opened on the hanging rod platform, and the hanging rod tube is installed in the through hole through a bearing. The upper end of the hanging rod tube has a transmission shaft, which is used to connect with the rotary drive. The lower end of the hanging rod tube is an open end, which is used to allow the upper end of the light rod to extend into the hanging rod tube.

[0016] In one possible design, the displacement compensation mechanism includes:

[0017] Fixed seat;

[0018] The mobile platform is slidably matched with the fixed seat through the first guide rail, and the mobile platform is slidably matched with the hanging rod platform through the second guide rail, and the first guide rail is perpendicular to the second guide rail.

[0019] In a possible design, a first linear drive is provided on the fixed seat for driving the movable platform to slide along the first guide rail; a second linear drive is provided on the movable platform for driving the hanging rod platform to slide along the second guide rail.

[0020] In a possible design, an optical image measuring instrument is further included. The optical image measuring instrument is arranged around the outlet of the heating furnace and is used to detect the angle between the side edge of the tip of the optical fiber and the horizontal line.

[0021] In one possible design, the position measuring device is a three-dimensional laser scanner.

[0022] In one possible design, the coating mechanism includes:

[0023] A coating mold, used for coating the coating material on the surface of the optical fiber;

[0024] A coating and curing furnace is provided on the downstream side of the coating mold and is used to heat and cure the surface of the coated optical fiber;

[0025] The diameter gauge is set on the downstream side of the coating and curing furnace to measure the outer diameter of the coated optical fiber.

[0026] In one possible design, the take-up mechanism includes a guide wheel and a take-up drum. The guide wheel is arranged on the downstream side of the caliper. The take-up drum is used to reel up the optical fiber that has passed through all the guide wheels.

[0027] On the other hand, the present application also provides an optical fiber drawing method, including the optical fiber drawing device as described above, the method comprising:

[0028] The light rod is rotated alternately clockwise and counterclockwise to preset angles through the hanging rod mechanism;

[0029] The position measuring instrument continuously obtains the offset of the axis of the optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace;

[0030] When the offset exceeds a threshold value, the displacement compensation mechanism drives the rod hanging mechanism to return so that the axis of the optical fiber and the axis of the heating furnace are kept collinear again.

[0031] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0032] The optical fiber drawing equipment of the present application uses a rod hanging mechanism to rotate the optical rod alternately clockwise and counterclockwise by a certain angle. For example, the preform rod rotates clockwise at a set angle in the horizontal direction - changes direction - rotates counterclockwise - changes direction, achieving periodic rotation at a set angle. This process causes the molten optical fiber to undergo controllable periodic torsion before forming. By designing the preform rod rotation parameters, the optical fiber spontaneously produces the physical structural changes required for optical performance optimization during the forming stage, and the polarization mode dispersion of the optical fiber is reduced by the endogenous torsion effect induced by self-rotation. The offset of the optical fiber axis relative to the axis of the heating furnace is continuously obtained by a position measuring instrument. When the offset exceeds a threshold, the displacement compensation mechanism drives the rod hanging mechanism to return so that the axis of the optical fiber and the axis of the heating furnace are once again collinear, ensuring that the horizontal position of the cone head is not offset during self-rotation. The optical fiber axis is precisely aligned through real-time position closed-loop control, effectively improving the drawing quality and production efficiency.

[0033] The optical fiber drawing method provided in the present application adopts the optical fiber drawing device in the present application, and therefore includes all the above-mentioned advantages of the optical fiber drawing device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical fiber drawing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a rod hanging mechanism and a displacement compensation mechanism of an optical fiber drawing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the internal torsion effect of the light rod;

[0038] Figure 4Schematic diagram of optical fiber torsional effect.

[0039] Reference numerals:

[0040] 100. Rod hanging mechanism; 110. Rod hanging platform; 120. Rod hanging cylinder; 130. Adjusting screw; 140. Rotary drive; 200. Displacement compensation mechanism; 210. Fixed seat; 220. Mobile platform; 230. First guide rail; 240. First linear drive; 250. Second guide rail; 260. Second linear drive; 300. Heating furnace; 400. Optical image measuring instrument; 500. Position measuring instrument; 610. Coating mold; 620. Coating curing furnace; 630. Diameter gauge; 710. Guide wheel; 720. Take-up reel; 730. Main traction wheel; 740. Auxiliary traction wheel; 750. Traction belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of this application in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] The following combination Figure 1-Figure 4 , describing the optical fiber drawing equipment provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the optical fiber drawing equipment provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a rod hanging mechanism 100, a displacement compensation mechanism 200, a heating furnace 300, a position measuring instrument 500, a coating mechanism, and a take-up mechanism. The rod hanging mechanism 100 is used to clamp the optical rod and rotate the optical rod around its own axis; the displacement compensation mechanism 200 is connected to the rod hanging mechanism 100 and is used to drive the rod hanging mechanism 100 to deflect; the heating furnace 300 is arranged below the rod hanging mechanism 100 and is used to heat the optical rod; the position measuring instrument 500 is arranged at the outlet of the heating furnace 300 and is used to measure the offset of the axis of the drawn optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace 300; the coating mechanism is arranged below the position measuring instrument 500 and is used to coat the surface of the optical fiber; the take-up mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the coating mechanism and is used to reel in the coated optical fiber.

[0044] Utilizing the technical solutions in the above-described embodiments, the rod-hanging mechanism 100 rotates the optical rod alternately clockwise and counterclockwise by a certain angle, achieving periodic rotation at a set angle. This process causes the molten optical fiber to undergo controllable periodic twisting before forming, utilizing the inherent twisting effect induced by self-rotation to reduce the optical fiber's polarization mode dispersion. The position measuring device 500 continuously measures the offset of the optical fiber's axis relative to the axis of the heating furnace 300. When the offset exceeds a threshold, the displacement compensation mechanism 200 drives the rod-hanging mechanism 100 to return, restoring the optical fiber's axis to the axis of the heating furnace 300. This ensures that the cone head's horizontal position remains unchanged during self-rotation. Precise alignment of the optical fiber axis is achieved through real-time closed-loop position control, effectively improving drawing quality and production efficiency.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the rod hanging mechanism 100 includes a rod hanging platform 110, a rod hanging barrel 120, and a rotary driver 140. The rod hanging platform 110 has a through hole extending vertically therethrough, in which a bearing is installed. The rod hanging barrel 120 is installed in the through hole via the bearing, and the rod hanging barrel 120 can rotate relative to the rod hanging platform 110. Specifically, the upper end of the rod hanging barrel 120 has a transmission shaft, which is sleeved with a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is connected to the rotary driver 140. For example, the rotary driver 140 is a motor mounted on the rod hanging platform 110. The conveyor belt is sleeved on the output wheel of the motor and the transmission shaft at the upper end of the rod hanging barrel 120, respectively, so that the motor can drive the rod hanging barrel 120 to rotate about its own axis. The lower end of the rod hanging barrel 120 is open, allowing the upper end of the light rod to extend into the rod hanging barrel 120. Specifically, a plurality of threaded holes are provided on the side wall of the hanging rod tube 120, for example, three threaded holes are provided, and an adjusting screw 130 is installed at each threaded hole. By screwing the adjusting screw 130, the optical rod is fixed in the hanging rod tube 120, and the rotary driver 140 drives the hanging rod tube 120 to rotate around its own axis while driving the optical rod to rotate synchronously.

[0046] Specifically, the optical rod rotates clockwise in the horizontal direction at a set angle - changes direction - rotates counterclockwise - changes direction, achieving periodic rotation at a set angle. This process causes the molten optical fiber to undergo controllable periodic twisting before forming. By designing the preform rod rotation parameters, the optical fiber spontaneously produces the physical structural changes required for optimizing optical performance during the forming stage, and the intrinsic twist effect induced by self-rotation is used to reduce the polarization mode dispersion of the optical fiber.

[0047] Reference Figure 2As shown, in some specific embodiments, the displacement compensation mechanism 200 includes a fixed base 210 and a mobile platform 220. The mobile platform 220 is slidably engaged with the fixed base 210 via a first guide rail 230, and the length direction of the first guide rail 230 is the width direction of the fixed base 210. A first linear drive 240 is provided on the fixed base 210. For example, the first linear drive 240 is a motor, and the output end of the motor is connected to the transmission wheel at the end of the screw through a synchronous belt. The screw is parallel to the first guide rail 230, and a slider is sleeved on the screw, and the slider is connected to the mobile platform 220. In this way, the rotation of the motor can drive the screw to rotate, and then the slider moves along the screw to drive the mobile platform 220 to slide along the width direction of the fixed base 210.

[0048] The mobile platform 220 slidably engages with the rod-hanging platform 110 via a second guide rail 250. The length of the second guide rail 250 corresponds to the width of the fixed base 210. A second linear actuator 260 is provided on the mobile platform 220. For example, the second linear actuator 260 is a motor, the output of which is connected to a drive pulley at the end of a lead screw via a timing belt. The lead screw is parallel to the second guide rail 250 and is fitted with a slider, which is connected to the rod-hanging platform 110. Rotation of the motor drives the lead screw, which in turn moves along the lead screw, causing the rod-hanging platform 110 to slide along the length of the fixed base 210.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 3 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the device further includes an optical image measuring instrument 400, which is arranged around the outlet of the heating furnace 300. The optical image measuring instrument 400 is used to detect the angle between the side edge of the tip of the optical fiber and the horizontal line (that is, the surface parallel to the lower end surface of the furnace opening of the heating furnace 300), that is, Figure 3 When the angle α on the left and right sides is equal, it means that the axis of the optical fiber is collinear with the axis of the heating furnace 300; when the difference between the angle α on the left and right sides exceeds a certain value, it means that the axis of the optical fiber deviates from the axis of the heating furnace 300. At this time, it is necessary to adjust the position of the optical rod in the hanging rod cylinder 120 by screwing the adjusting screw 130 until the angle α on the left and right sides is equal to ensure that the axis of the optical fiber is always collinear with the axis of the heating furnace 300 during the subsequent drawing process of the optical rod.

[0050] In some specific embodiments, the position measuring device 500 utilizes a three-dimensional laser scanner to detect the position of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber is within a deviation threshold, the displacement compensation mechanism 200 does not need to perform a corrective action. When the optical fiber exceeds the deviation threshold, the displacement compensation mechanism 200 performs a corresponding corrective action, driving the rod hanging mechanism 100 to move along the length and width of the fixed base 210, respectively, to return the optical rod to its initial position, re-aligning the axis of the optical fiber with the axis of the heating furnace 300, and ensuring that the horizontal position of the cone head does not deviate during rotation. In this way, precise alignment of the optical fiber axis is achieved through real-time closed-loop position control, effectively improving drawing quality and production efficiency.

[0051] In some specific embodiments, the coating mechanism includes a coating die 610, a coating and curing oven 620, and a caliper 630. The coating die 610 is used to apply the coating material to the surface of the optical fiber. The coating and curing oven 620 is located downstream of the coating die 610 and is used to heat and cure the surface of the coated optical fiber. The caliper 630 is located downstream of the coating and curing oven 620 and is used to measure the outer diameter of the coated optical fiber. The take-up mechanism includes a guide wheel 710 and a take-up reel 720. The guide wheel 710 is located downstream of the caliper 630. The take-up reel 720 is used to reel in the optical fibers that have been wound around all the guide wheels 710.

[0052] In some specific embodiments, a traction mechanism is provided between the guide wheel 710 and the take-up reel 720. The traction mechanism includes a main traction wheel 730 and two auxiliary traction wheels 740. A traction belt 750 is sleeved on the two auxiliary traction wheels 740. The wheel surface of the main traction wheel 730 abuts against the traction belt 750. At least one of the two auxiliary traction wheels 740 is a driving wheel, driving the traction belt 750 to move forward around the two auxiliary traction wheels 740. The main traction wheel 730 rotates at a synchronous speed with the traction belt 750. The optical fiber that passes around the guide wheel 710 passes between the main traction wheel 730 and the traction belt 750 and is transported forward due to the friction between the main traction wheel 730 and the traction belt 750. This helps protect the coating on the optical fiber surface and prevents it from being damaged during transportation.

[0053] An embodiment of the present application further provides an optical fiber drawing method, including the optical fiber drawing device in the above embodiment, the method comprising:

[0054] The light rod is rotated alternately clockwise and counterclockwise by a preset angle through the hanging rod mechanism 100; for example, the light rod rotates clockwise at a set angle - changes direction - rotates counterclockwise - changes direction, thereby achieving periodic rotation at a set angle. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this process causes the molten optical fiber to undergo controllable periodic twisting before forming. The helical tension field generated by the rotation makes the optical fiber have a uniform helical distribution, and the intrinsic twist effect induced by the rotation is used to reduce the polarization mode dispersion of the optical fiber.

[0055] The position measuring device 500 continuously obtains the offset of the axis of the optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace 300;

[0056] When the offset exceeds a threshold, the displacement compensation mechanism 200 drives the rod hanging mechanism 100 to return, so that the axis of the optical fiber and the axis of the heating furnace 300 are collinear again.

[0057] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0058] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0060] In this application, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" mean 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 application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do 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. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber drawing device, characterized in that: include: The rod hanging mechanism is used to clamp the light rod and make it rotate around its own axis; a displacement compensation mechanism, connected to the rod hanging mechanism, and used to drive the rod hanging mechanism to deflect; A heating furnace is provided below the rod hanging mechanism and is used to heat the light rod; A position measuring instrument, provided at the outlet of the heating furnace, for measuring the offset of the axis of the drawn optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace; A coating mechanism, disposed below the position measuring instrument, for coating the surface of the optical fiber; The take-up mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the coating mechanism and is used for taking up the coated optical fiber.

2. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The rod hanging mechanism comprises: Hanging rod platform; A rod hanging cylinder is rotatably mounted on the rod hanging platform, a threaded hole is provided on the side wall of the rod hanging cylinder, and an adjusting screw is installed at the threaded hole; The rotary driver is in driving connection with the rod hanging barrel and is used for driving the rod hanging barrel to rotate around its own axis.

3. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A through hole is provided on the hanging rod platform, and the hanging rod tube is installed in the through hole through a bearing. The upper end of the hanging rod tube has a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is used to connect with the rotary driver. The lower end of the hanging rod tube is an open end, which is used to allow the upper end of the light rod to extend into the hanging rod tube.

4. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The displacement compensation mechanism includes: Fixed seat; A mobile platform is slidably matched with the fixed seat through a first guide rail, and the mobile platform is slidably matched with the hanging rod platform through a second guide rail, and the first guide rail is perpendicular to the second guide rail.

5. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fixing seat is provided with a first linear driver for driving the movable platform to slide along the first guide rail; the movable platform is provided with a second linear driver for driving the hanging rod platform to slide along the second guide rail.

6. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes an optical image measuring instrument, which is arranged around the outlet of the heating furnace and is used to detect the angle between the side edge of the tip of the optical fiber and the horizontal line.

7. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The position measuring instrument adopts a three-dimensional laser scanner.

8. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The coating mechanism comprises: A coating mold, used for coating the coating material on the surface of the optical fiber; A coating and curing furnace, disposed on the downstream side of the coating die, for heating and curing the surface of the coated optical fiber; The diameter gauge is arranged at the downstream side of the coating and curing furnace and is used to measure the outer diameter of the coated optical fiber.

9. The optical fiber drawing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The take-up mechanism includes a guide wheel and a take-up drum. The guide wheel is arranged on the downstream side of the caliper. The take-up drum is used to reel up the optical fibers that have passed through all the guide wheels.

10. A method for drawing an optical fiber, characterized in that: Using the optical fiber drawing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprises: The light rod is rotated alternately clockwise and counterclockwise to preset angles through the hanging rod mechanism; The position measuring instrument continuously obtains the offset of the axis of the optical fiber relative to the axis of the heating furnace; When the offset exceeds a threshold value, the displacement compensation mechanism drives the rod hanging mechanism to return so that the axis of the optical fiber and the axis of the heating furnace are kept collinear again.

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