Optical fiber processing and detecting integrated device

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical fiber processing and detecting integrated device which comprises an optical fiber clamping assembly and an end face grinding assembly. The optical fiber clamping assembly comprises an air bag clamp, an air bag and an air pump. The air bag clamp, the air bag and the air pumps are fixed on the surface of the clamping platform, the air bag is communicated with the first air pump and the second air pump through a three-way pipe, and the air bag clamp is used for installing and restraining the air bag and limiting displacement of the air bag in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber; the end face grinding assembly is arranged on one side of the end of the optical fiber and comprises at least four sets of grinding medium sand disc assemblies, grinding medium sand discs in each set of grinding medium sand disc assembly are suitable for grinding media of different granularities, and each set of grinding medium sand disc assembly can machine the optical fiber. The distance between the end face grinding assembly and the optical fiber can be adjusted; according to the invention, continuous processing and detection of the optical fiber in the same clamping state are realized, repeated disassembly and assembly operations are reduced, and the detection accuracy and the overall operation efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of optical fiber processing and quality inspection, and particularly relates to an integrated device for optical fiber processing and inspection. Background Technology

[0002] The quality of the fiber endface and its overall integrity directly affect the coupling efficiency and transmission performance of optical signals. In current fiber processing, fibers are mostly held in a mechanical rigid clamping method, which easily leads to local stress concentration, resulting in insufficient clamping stability or even fiber damage. At the same time, fiber endface grinding and quality inspection are usually separate processes, requiring multiple fiber disassembly and assembly, which not only increases the complexity of manual operation but also easily introduces positional deviations, affecting the endface processing accuracy and the reliability of inspection results.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated device that can achieve stable micro-force clamping of optical fibers, precision end-face grinding, and online quality inspection after processing, so as to improve the efficiency and consistency of optical fiber processing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the optical fiber processing, such as insufficient clamping stability, separation of end face grinding and quality inspection processes, low degree of automation, and poor processing consistency, the purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated device for optical fiber processing and inspection, so as to realize stable clamping of optical fibers, high-precision end face grinding, and online inspection of post-grinding quality.

[0005] To address the problems existing in the background art, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An integrated device for optical fiber processing and testing includes an optical fiber clamping assembly and an end face grinding assembly;

[0007] The fiber optic clamping assembly includes an airbag clamp, an airbag, and an air pump. The airbag clamp, airbag, and air pump are fixed to the surface of the clamping platform. The airbag is connected to a first air pump and a second air pump via a three-way tube. The first air pump is used to quickly inflate the airbag to achieve initial clamping and positioning of the fiber optic cable. The second air pump is used to finely adjust the pressure inside the airbag, thereby achieving precise control of the clamping force on the fiber optic cable. The airbag clamp is used to install and constrain the airbag, limiting its displacement in the direction perpendicular to the fiber optic axis, preventing unexpected deformation or positional shift of the airbag during inflation, and thus ensuring the stability of the clamping process.

[0008] The end face grinding assembly is disposed on one side of the end of the optical fiber. The end face grinding assembly includes at least four sets of grinding media disc assemblies. The grinding media discs in each set of grinding media disc assemblies are adapted to grinding media of different grit sizes. Each set of grinding media disc assemblies can process the optical fiber, and the end face grinding assembly can adjust the distance from the optical fiber.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a visual inspection component, which includes a visual acquisition device and an image processing unit connected thereto. The visual acquisition device acquires images from the optical fiber, and the image processing unit analyzes and processes the acquired images.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a control module, which is electrically connected to the fiber clamping assembly, the end face grinding assembly, and the vision inspection assembly. The control module is used to control the coordinated operation of the fiber clamping process, the end face grinding process, and the vision inspection process, and to control the start of the vision inspection assembly after the end face grinding reaches a preset time or a preset number of grinding cycles.

[0011] Furthermore, the fiber optic clamping assembly also includes a pressure regulating device, which comprises a microcontroller, a pressure sensing unit, and a display unit connected to the microcontroller. The pressure sensing unit is used to detect the inflation pressure inside the airbag or the clamping force applied by the airbag to the fiber optic cable, and transmits the detection signal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the working state of the air pump according to the received detection signal to adjust the amount of gas input to the airbag, thereby achieving precise adjustment of the fiber optic clamping force. The display unit is connected to the microcontroller and is used to display the pressure value inside the airbag or the corresponding fiber optic clamping force parameter in real time.

[0012] Furthermore, the airbag has a ring-shaped structure with a through hole formed on its inner side for accommodating optical fibers. The optical fiber to be processed is inserted into the through hole of the airbag along the axial direction. When the airbag is inflated by an air pump, the airbag expands radially. Under the constraint of the airbag clamp, the airbag mainly deforms radially inward, thereby applying a uniform radial clamping force to the optical fiber and achieving stable clamping of the optical fiber.

[0013] Furthermore, the grinding media disc assembly includes a second stepper motor and a grinding media disc. The second stepper motor is connected to the grinding media disc and is used to drive the grinding media disc to rotate. A steering motor is installed at the bottom of several sets of grinding media disc assemblies, and the steering motor can drive the grinding platform to rotate.

[0014] Furthermore, the steering motor is fixed on a translation slide, which can move in at least one horizontal dimension, thereby driving the steering motor to move and adjusting the relative position between the grinding platform and the optical fiber to be processed.

[0015] Furthermore, the optical fiber clamping assembly consists of at least two sets, symmetrically distributed, to clamp the optical fiber to be processed.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a first stepper motor, which is installed at the bottom of the clamping platform. The first stepper motor can drive the clamping platform to rotate, so that the end face of the optical fiber is adjusted to be perpendicular to the vision inspection component.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a vision inspection component, with the vision acquisition device being an industrial camera or depth camera, and the image processing unit employing an OpenCV-based image processing software system.

[0018] The beneficial technical effects of this invention are as follows:

[0019] 1. The present invention adopts an airbag inflatable clamping structure to apply a uniform and flexible clamping force to the optical fiber, which avoids the damage to the optical fiber caused by rigid clamping and improves clamping stability and applicability.

[0020] 2. This invention, by setting up a graded end-face grinding assembly, sequentially uses grinding media of different particle sizes to process the fiber end face, which significantly improves the flatness and consistency of the end face while ensuring processing efficiency.

[0021] 3. This invention integrates the visual inspection component and the end face grinding component, enabling continuous processing and inspection of optical fibers in the same clamping state, reducing repeated disassembly and assembly operations, and improving inspection accuracy and overall work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an integrated optical fiber processing and testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical fiber clamping assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end face grinding assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the visual inspection component provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device provided by the present invention will be further described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and detailed in conjunction with the following specific embodiments and comparative examples:

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an integrated optical fiber processing and inspection device, including a vision inspection component 1, an optical fiber clamping component 2, and an end face grinding component 3.

[0028] The optical fiber clamping assembly includes an air pump and an airbag connected to the air pump. The optical fiber to be processed is placed in the clamping area formed by the airbag. By starting the air pump to inflate the airbag, the airbag expands and applies a uniform and controllable pneumatic micro-force radial clamping force to the optical fiber, so as to achieve stable clamping and axial positioning of the optical fiber.

[0029] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the fiber optic clamping assembly 2 includes a clamping platform 2a, an airbag clamp 2c, an airbag 2d, and an air pump. The airbag clamp 2c, airbag 2d, and air pump can be fixed to the surface of the clamping platform 2a. The airbag 2d is connected to the air pump, which provides gas pressure to the airbag. In this embodiment, to achieve fine adjustment of the fiber optic clamping force and improve the stability of the clamping process, the airbag is connected to a first air pump 2e and a second air pump 2g via a three-way tube 2f. The first air pump is used to quickly inflate the airbag to achieve initial clamping and positioning of the fiber optic cable. The second air pump is used to make minor adjustments to the pressure inside the airbag, thereby achieving precise control of the fiber optic clamping force. By setting a dual-air pump structure, both clamping response speed and clamping force adjustment accuracy can be considered, avoiding the problem of difficulty in balancing rapid inflation and fine control with a single air pump. This further reduces the risk of fiber optic damage and improves the reliability and repeatability of the clamping process.

[0030] The airbag is made of flexible material and can adapt to the shape and size of optical fibers of different diameters during inflation, thereby achieving universal clamping of optical fibers of various specifications; it can adapt to the clamping requirements of optical fibers of different diameters during inflation, thereby avoiding damage to the optical fibers due to clamping stress concentration.

[0031] The fiber optic clamping assembly also includes a pressure regulating device for adjusting the inflation pressure inside the airbag to control the clamping force applied to the fiber optic cable and prevent damage to the fiber optic cable. Specifically, in this embodiment, the pressure regulating device includes a microcontroller, a pressure sensing unit, and a display unit connected to the microcontroller. The pressure sensing unit detects the inflation pressure inside the airbag 2d or the clamping force applied by the airbag to the fiber optic cable 2b and transmits the detection signal to the microcontroller. It should be noted that the pressure sensing unit can use an existing pressure sensor and be fixed at the required detection location. The microcontroller controls the working state of the second air pump 2g based on the received detection signal to adjust the amount of gas input to the airbag 2d, thereby achieving precise adjustment of the fiber optic clamping force. The display unit is connected to the microcontroller and is used to display the pressure value inside the airbag or the corresponding fiber optic clamping force parameter in real time. The operator can set or adjust the target clamping force range through the display unit. Through the above method, the visual monitoring and dynamic adjustment of the clamping force during the fiber optic clamping process are realized, further improving the safety and reliability of the fiber optic clamping process.

[0032] Of course, in order to achieve stable clamping of the optical fiber 2b to be processed, it is possible to use airbags to clamp both ends of the optical fiber 2b. Specifically, in this embodiment, the airbag clamp 2c is used to install and constrain the airbag 2d. It is fixedly set on the clamping platform 2a to limit the displacement of the airbag 2d in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber 2b, and to prevent the airbag from undergoing unexpected deformation or positional displacement during inflation, thereby ensuring the stability of the clamping process.

[0033] It is conceivable that the airbag 2d has a ring-shaped structure, with a through-hole formed on its inner side to accommodate the optical fiber 2b, and its overall shape is similar to a ring-shaped airbag structure. The optical fiber 2b to be processed passes through the central region of the airbag 2d along the axial direction. When the airbag 2d is inflated by the second air pump 2g, the airbag 2d expands radially. Under the constraint of the airbag clamp 2c, the airbag 2d mainly deforms radially inward, thereby applying a uniform radial clamping force to the optical fiber 2b and achieving stable clamping of the optical fiber 2b.

[0034] During operation, the air pump is activated to inflate the airbag 2d, causing it to expand and apply a uniform radial clamping force to the optical fiber 2b, thereby achieving stable clamping and axial positioning of the optical fiber 2b. Because the airbag 2d is made of flexible material, it can adapt to the shape and dimensions of optical fibers of different diameters during inflation and clamping, avoiding damage to the optical fiber 2b caused by excessive localized stress due to rigid clamping, thus improving the reliability and applicability of the clamping process.

[0035] In addition, it also includes a first stepper motor 2i, which is installed at the bottom of the clamping platform 2a. The first stepper motor 2i can drive the optical fiber clamping platform 2 to rotate, so that the end face of the optical fiber is adjusted to a position that is perpendicular to the vision inspection component.

[0036] like Figure 3As shown, the end face grinding assembly 3 is disposed on one side of the end of the optical fiber 2b. The end face grinding assembly 3 includes at least four sets of grinding media disc assemblies. Each grinding media disc assembly includes a second stepper motor 3a, a coupling 3b, and a grinding media disc 3c. The second stepper motor 3a is connected to the grinding media disc 3c through the coupling 3b and is used to drive the grinding media disc 3c to rotate. It should be noted that the grinding media discs in each set of grinding media disc assemblies are grinding media discs suitable for different grit sizes. Several sets of grinding media... The grinding disc assembly is fixed on the grinding platform 3d. A steering motor 3e is installed at the bottom of the grinding platform 3d. The steering motor 3e can drive the grinding platform 3d to rotate. In addition, the steering motor 3e is fixed on the translation slide 3f. The translation slide 3f can move in at least one horizontal dimension, thereby driving the steering motor 3e to move. This is used to adjust the relative position between the grinding platform 3d and the optical fiber 2b to be processed. Of course, the translation slide can be an existing product, as long as its translation function is realized, without being restricted to a specific structure or shape.

[0037] In this embodiment, the end-face grinding assembly 3 includes four sets of grinding media disc assemblies. Correspondingly, the grinding media discs include a first and a second grinding media disc for rough grinding, and a third and a fourth grinding media disc for fine grinding. The steering motor 3e drives the grinding platform 3d to switch between different grinding media disc assemblies, allowing grinding media discs of different grit sizes to sequentially contact the end face of the optical fiber 2b to be processed.

[0038] During operation, the end-face grinding assembly 3 first uses the first grinding media disc to perform rough grinding on the fiber end face to quickly remove uneven parts. Then, it switches to the second grinding media disc for further rough grinding to improve the initial flatness of the end face. Subsequently, it switches to the third and fourth grinding media discs in sequence for fine grinding to further improve the flatness and surface quality of the end face. The grinding process can be controlled according to a preset grinding time or a preset number of grinding passes.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, the vision inspection component 1 is disposed on the side of the optical fiber 2b to be processed, and includes a vision acquisition device and an image processing unit connected thereto. The vision acquisition device can be an industrial camera or a depth camera, used to acquire image information of the overall state and end-face morphology of the optical fiber.

[0040] After the end face is smoothed, the optical fiber 2b to be processed is held in a clamped state. The first stepper motor 2i drives the optical fiber clamping assembly 2 to rotate, adjusting the end face of the optical fiber to a position perpendicular to the vision inspection assembly. Then, the vision inspection assembly is activated, and the vision acquisition device acquires images of the optical fiber. The image processing unit analyzes and processes the acquired images. The image processing unit can perform edge recognition, morphology analysis, or feature extraction on the acquired images to determine whether the optical fiber has defects such as breakage or cracks, and to detect whether the end face of the optical fiber meets the preset smoothing requirements.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the image processing unit employs an OpenCV-based image processing software system. This software system runs on an industrial control computer or embedded processing platform and is used to process and analyze the fiber optic images acquired by the vision acquisition device. Specifically, the image processing software system analyzes the surface and end face area of ​​the fiber optic cable using image processing algorithms such as grayscale processing, edge detection, contour extraction, and feature recognition to identify whether the fiber optic cable has defects such as breakage or cracks, and to determine whether the flatness of the fiber optic end face meets the preset processing requirements.

[0042] Of course, it is possible to consider that the visual acquisition device can acquire multiple frames of images of the fiber end face during the detection process to improve the stability and reliability of the detection results.

[0043] Furthermore, to further integrate fiber optic processing and testing, a control module can be added. This control module is connected to the air pump, the first stepper motor, the steering motor, and the second stepper motor. The control module performs sequential and coordinated control of processes such as fiber clamping, end-face grinding, visual inspection, and platform rotation, achieving unified and coordinated control. For example, the rotation angle of the fiber clamping platform can be controlled by the control module to ensure the fiber end-face is always in a suitable observation posture during inspection. As another example, after end-face grinding is completed, the control module automatically controls the rotation of the fiber clamping platform and activates the visual inspection component. When the inspection result shows that the fiber end-face does not meet the preset grinding requirements, the end-face grinding component can perform supplementary grinding under the control of the control module. Through the coordinated control of the control module, the fiber optic processing and testing process can be automated, reducing manual intervention. Moreover, the fiber remains clamped throughout the entire processing and testing process, avoiding positional errors caused by repeated disassembly and reassembly, thereby significantly improving the consistency of fiber end-face processing and the accuracy of inspection results.

[0044] Of course, in this embodiment, the control module is implemented using an existing mature microprocessor control module. The microprocessor control module can be a control system based on the STM32 series microcontroller. The control module is electrically connected to the fiber optic clamping assembly, the end face grinding assembly, and the vision inspection assembly, respectively, and is used to realize functions such as airbag inflation pressure control, grinding motor start / stop and speed control, platform rotation control, and vision inspection triggering.

[0045] This invention integrates fiber clamping, end-face grinding, and visual inspection into a single device, achieving integrated fiber processing and inspection. Compared to existing step-by-step processing methods, this invention effectively shortens the processing cycle. At the same time, this invention reduces reliance on operator experience and improves the stability of the processing process. In practical applications, this invention's device can be adapted to different specifications and types of fiber processing needs. Furthermore, the device has a compact structure, making it easy to install and maintain.

[0046] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated device for optical fiber processing and testing, characterized in that, Includes fiber optic clamping components and end-face grinding components; The fiber optic clamping assembly includes an airbag clamp, an airbag, and an air pump. The airbag clamp, airbag, and air pump are fixed to the surface of the clamping platform. The airbag is connected to a first air pump and a second air pump via a three-way tube. The first air pump is used to quickly inflate the airbag to achieve initial clamping and positioning of the fiber optic cable. The second air pump is used to finely adjust the pressure inside the airbag, thereby achieving precise control of the clamping force on the fiber optic cable. The airbag clamp is used to install and constrain the airbag, limiting its displacement in the direction perpendicular to the fiber optic axis, preventing unexpected deformation or positional shift of the airbag during inflation, and thus ensuring the stability of the clamping process. The end face grinding assembly is disposed on one side of the end of the optical fiber. The end face grinding assembly includes at least four sets of grinding media disc assemblies. The grinding media discs in each set of grinding media disc assemblies are adapted to grinding media of different grit sizes. Each set of grinding media disc assemblies can process the optical fiber, and the end face grinding assembly can adjust the distance from the optical fiber.

2. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a visual inspection component, which includes a visual acquisition device and an image processing unit connected thereto. The visual acquisition device acquires images from the optical fiber, and the image processing unit analyzes and processes the acquired images.

3. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a control module, which is electrically connected to the fiber clamping assembly, the end face grinding assembly, and the vision inspection assembly. The control module is used to control the coordinated operation of the fiber clamping process, the end face grinding process, and the vision inspection process, and to control the start of the vision inspection assembly after the end face grinding reaches a preset time or a preset number of grinding cycles.

4. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber optic clamping assembly further includes a pressure regulating device, which comprises a microcontroller, a pressure sensing unit, and a display unit connected to the microcontroller. The pressure sensing unit detects the inflation pressure inside the airbag or the clamping force applied by the airbag to the fiber optic cable and transmits the detection signal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the operation of the air pump based on the received detection signal to adjust the amount of gas input to the airbag, thereby achieving precise adjustment of the fiber optic clamping force. The display unit is connected to the microcontroller and is used to display the pressure value inside the airbag or the corresponding fiber optic clamping force parameter in real time.

5. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The airbag has a ring-shaped structure with a through hole formed on its inner side to accommodate the optical fiber. The optical fiber to be processed is inserted into the through hole of the airbag along the axial direction. When the airbag is inflated by an air pump, the airbag expands radially. Under the constraint of the airbag clamp, the airbag mainly deforms radially inward, thereby applying a uniform radial clamping force to the optical fiber and achieving stable clamping of the optical fiber.

6. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding media disc assembly includes a second stepper motor and a grinding media disc. The second stepper motor is connected to the grinding media disc and is used to drive the grinding media disc to rotate. Steering motors are installed at the bottom of several sets of grinding media disc assemblies, and the steering motors can drive the grinding platform to rotate.

7. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The steering motor is fixed on a translation slide, which can move in at least one horizontal dimension, thereby driving the steering motor to move and adjusting the relative position between the grinding platform and the optical fiber to be processed.

8. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical fiber clamping assembly consists of at least two sets, symmetrically distributed, to clamp the optical fiber to be processed.

9. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first stepper motor, which is installed at the bottom of the clamping platform. The first stepper motor can drive the clamping platform to rotate, so that the end face of the optical fiber is adjusted to be perpendicular to the vision inspection component.

10. The integrated optical fiber processing and testing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a vision inspection component, with the vision acquisition device being an industrial camera or a depth camera, and the image processing unit employing an image processing software system based on OpenCV.

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