A rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber

Abstract

The utility model relates to a rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber, which belongs to the field of optical fiber coating technology, and includes a main frame, a gear ring, and optical fiber clamping fingers. Transmission shafts are arranged on both sides of the main frame, and at least one reversing gear is distributed on the transmission shaft, and the reversing gear is meshed with the optical fiber clamping fingers; the main frame is provided with two driven gears, and the driven gears are meshed with the gear ring. The device is suspended as a whole in the vacuum coating chamber of the coating instrument, and the optical fiber is clamped on the optical fiber clamping fingers in advance, and then the main frame is driven to rotate by the motor on the top of the equipment, and then the reversing gear and the optical fiber clamping fingers are driven to rotate through the meshing of the driven gear and the gear ring, thereby driving the bare optical fiber to rotate circumferentially, so as to achieve stable clamping of the bare optical fiber and continuous uniform rotation of the bare optical fiber. The problem of needing to coat twice and break the vacuum in the sensor manufacturing process is avoided, and the coating efficiency and production efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fibers, belonging to the technical field of optical fiber coating. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, fiber optic sensing has been gaining more and more attention due to its wide application range and excellent performance. In the development of fiber optic sensors, many fiber optic sensors require a metal film of a specified thickness to be plated on the circumferential surface of the bare fiber. However, since the diameter of the bare fiber is usually 125 microns and the surface is very small, it is difficult to achieve uniform metal film coating on the surface of the bare fiber in the electron sputtering and vacuum evaporation chamber.

[0003] At present, in the process of making optical fiber sensors, for sensors that need to be coated on the circumference of the optical fiber, such as optical fiber surface plasmon resonance sensors, the process of coating the circumferential surface of the optical fiber is generally as follows: first fix the optical fiber on a glass slide with optical glue, place the glass slide on the sample stage of the vacuum chamber in the vacuum evaporation chamber, and after the sample chamber is evacuated, vacuum evaporation coating is performed, and the target particles are deposited on the glass slide and one side of the optical fiber on the glass slide from the top. After the coating on one side of the optical fiber is completed, the vacuum chamber is filled with air, the glass slide is taken out and reversed 180°, that is, turned over. The flipped optical fiber is placed in the vacuum evaporation chamber again to coat the other side of the optical fiber. This operation process is cumbersome and requires breaking the vacuum, which is easy to cause oxidation of very small metal deposition particles. The vacuum needs to be broken and the optical fiber needs to be flipped during the coating process, and the coating efficiency is low. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the utility model provides a rotating clamping device for the circumferential coating of bare optical fibers. By loading the device in the vacuum chamber of a coating machine, the optical fiber can be automatically flipped during the coating process, so that the circumference of the optical fiber can be evenly coated. The device can be docked with the vacuum chamber of the coating machine and the optical fiber can be clamped and flipped.

[0005] The technical solution of the utility model is as follows:

[0006] A rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber, comprising a main frame, a gear ring, and optical fiber clamping fingers, wherein a circle of spur teeth is arranged on the inner side of the gear ring, and the gear ring is fixed in the coating equipment; transmission shafts are arranged on both sides of the main frame, one end of the transmission shaft is gap-connected with the main frame, and a transmission shaft helical gear is arranged on the other end of the transmission shaft, and the main frame is provided with two gear mounting boxes, and a driven gear is arranged on the gear mounting box, and the driven gear comprises an upper spur gear and a lower helical gear, and the upper spur gear is meshed with the spur teeth on the inner side of the gear ring, and the lower helical gear is meshed with the helical gear of the transmission shaft;

[0007] The optical fiber clamping finger comprises a spring piece, a connecting shaft, and a clamping finger reversing gear. The spring piece is used to clamp the optical fiber, and the spring piece and the clamping finger reversing gear are connected through the connecting shaft.

[0008] At least one reversing gear is distributed on the transmission shaft, and at least one bearing groove is provided on the main frame below the transmission shaft, and the finger reversing gear is placed in the bearing groove, and the reversing gear is meshed with the finger reversing gear;

[0009] The number of bearing slots under the transmission shafts on both sides of the main frame is the same, and the spring pieces of the optical fiber clamping fingers carried thereon are arranged facing each other. The optical fiber is clamped by the optical fiber clamping fingers on both sides to perform vapor deposition under the main frame.

[0010] This device is hoisted in the vacuum chamber of the evaporation coating equipment. The main frame is driven to rotate through the rotating mechanism in the vacuum chamber, so that the upper spur gear of the driven gear rotates along the gear ring. The rotation of the driven gear also rotates the lower helical gear. Through the meshing reversing with the helical gear of the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft is driven to rotate. The reversing gear on the transmission shaft also rotates with the transmission shaft, thereby driving the reversing gear on the meshing fiber clamp finger to rotate, so that the optical fiber clamped by the shrapnel can rotate around its own central axis, so that it can be evenly evaporated during the evaporation process. The rotation of the main frame is transmitted downward by reversing the force of the rotation of the motor at the upper end of the evaporation equipment, so that the optical fiber can rotate at a uniform speed in the equipment, thereby performing circumferential coating on its surface.

[0011] Preferably, a rotating fixed plate is provided above the main frame, and the main frame is fixedly connected to the rotating fixed plate by a hook, and is assembled into the vacuum chamber through the rotating fixed plate. The rotating fixed plate is driven to rotate by the rotating mechanism in the vacuum chamber, thereby driving the main frame to rotate horizontally inside the equipment cavity.

[0012] Further preferably, the number of hooks is three, so as to maintain a stable connection between the main frame and the rotating fixing plate.

[0013] Preferably, the reversing gear is provided with a fixed countersunk threaded hole which is threadedly connected to the transmission shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the gear ring is fixed inside the equipment cavity by a gear ring supporting and fixing plate. There are four gear ring supporting and fixing plates, which are arranged at intervals on both sides of the cavity. The gear ring supporting and fixing plates are fixed inside the cavity by screws. A fixing hole is opened at the upper end of each gear ring supporting and fixing plate for supporting and fixing the gear ring.

[0015] Preferably, the main frame is a square frame, a protective cover plate is provided inside the frame, and the protective cover plate is arranged above the optical fiber clamping fingers.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0017] The utility model relates to a rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fibers, which can be directly loaded into the vacuum chamber of the evaporation coating equipment, and can stably clamp the bare optical fiber and continuously rotate the bare optical fiber at a uniform speed during the evaporation coating process. This avoids the need for two coatings and breaking the vacuum during the sensor manufacturing process, thereby improving the coating efficiency and production efficiency. In addition, since the device allows the optical fiber to rotate at a uniform speed around the axis during the entire coating process without causing other pollution, the film thickness consistency at various locations on the circumferential surface of the optical fiber is good, which greatly improves the performance level and product qualification rate of the optical fiber sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a top view schematic diagram of the device of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the gear connection of the device of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the gear and the optical fiber clamping finger of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical fiber clamp finger;

[0023] The numbers are as follows: main frame 1, gear ring 2, driven gear 3, transmission shaft 4, reversing gear 5, rotating fixed plate 6, right hook 7, left hook 8, protective cover plate 9, right-angle hook 10, gear mounting box 11, gear ring supporting fixed plate 12, optical fiber clamp finger 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention will be further described below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but is not limited thereto.

[0025] Embodiment 1:

[0026] A rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fibers comprises a main frame 1, a gear ring 2, and optical fiber clamping fingers 13. A circle of spur teeth is arranged on the inner side of the gear ring, and the gear ring is fixed in the coating equipment; transmission shafts 4 are arranged on both sides of the main frame, one end of the transmission shaft is gap-connected with the main frame, and a transmission shaft helical gear is arranged on the other end of the transmission shaft; the main frame is provided with two gear mounting boxes 11, and a driven gear 3 is arranged on the gear mounting boxes. The driven gear comprises an upper spur gear and a lower helical gear, and the upper spur gear is meshed with the spur teeth on the inner side of the gear ring to complete power transmission; the lower helical gear is meshed with the helical gear of the transmission shaft to complete a reversal, and the driven gear rotates around the axis to drive the transmission shaft to rotate around the axis.

[0027] The optical fiber clamping finger 13 comprises a spring piece, a connecting shaft, and a clamping finger reversing gear. The spring piece is used to clamp the optical fiber, and the spring piece and the clamping finger reversing gear are connected through the connecting shaft.

[0028] A plurality of reversing gears 5 are distributed on the transmission shaft, such as Figure 1 Figure 2 As shown, each transmission shaft is provided with 18 reversing gears, and a corresponding number of bearing grooves are provided on the main frame below the transmission shaft. The finger reversing gears are placed in the bearing grooves, and the reversing gears are meshed with the finger reversing gears to complete a reversal. The rotation of the transmission shaft around the axis drives the rotation of the optical fiber clamping fingers around the axis, thereby causing the optical fiber to rotate around its own axis. Accordingly, the device shown in this embodiment 1 can clamp 18 optical fibers for simultaneous vapor deposition.

[0029] The reversing gear is provided with a fixed countersunk threaded hole and is threadedly connected with the transmission shaft.

[0030] The main frame is a square frame, and a protective cover plate 9 is arranged inside the frame. The protective cover plate is arranged above the optical fiber clamping fingers. After the optical fiber is loaded, the protective cover plate is above the optical fiber.

[0031] The number of bearing slots under the transmission shafts on both sides of the main frame is the same, and the spring pieces of the optical fiber clamping fingers carried thereon are arranged facing each other. The optical fiber is clamped by the optical fiber clamping fingers on both sides to perform vapor deposition under the main frame.

[0032] This device is hoisted in the vacuum chamber of the evaporation coating equipment. The main frame is driven to rotate through the rotating mechanism in the vacuum chamber, so that the upper spur gear of the driven gear rotates along the gear ring. The rotation of the driven gear also rotates the lower helical gear. Through the meshing reversing with the helical gear of the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft is driven to rotate. The reversing gear on the transmission shaft also rotates with the transmission shaft, thereby driving the reversing gear on the meshing fiber clamp finger to rotate, so that the optical fiber clamped by the shrapnel can rotate around its own central axis, so that it can be evenly evaporated during the evaporation process. The rotation of the main frame is transmitted downward by reversing the force of the rotation of the motor at the upper end of the evaporation equipment, so that the optical fiber can rotate at a uniform speed in the equipment, thereby performing circumferential coating on its surface.

[0033] Embodiment 2:

[0034] A rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber, the structure of which is as described in Example 1, except that a rotary fixing plate 6 is arranged above the main frame 1, the main frame is fixedly connected to the rotary fixing plate through a hook, and is assembled into a vacuum chamber through the rotary fixing plate, and the rotary fixing plate is driven to rotate by the rotary mechanism in the vacuum chamber, thereby driving the main frame to rotate horizontally inside the device cavity. There are three hooks, namely a left hook 8, a right hook 7, and a right-angle hook 10, to keep the main frame stably connected to the rotary fixing plate.

[0035] The device as a whole is suspended in the vacuum coating chamber of the coating instrument through a rotating fixed plate 6. The optical fiber is clamped on the optical fiber clamp finger in advance, and then the main frame 1 is driven to rotate by the motor on the top of the device. The driven gear 3 and the gear ring 2 fixed inside the device are engaged to drive the reversing gear 5 and the optical fiber clamp finger 13 to rotate, thereby driving the bare optical fiber to rotate in a circular manner, thereby achieving uniform coating on the circumferential surface of the optical fiber.

[0036] The device is placed in the vacuum coating chamber of the coating instrument. The optical fiber is manually cut into a fixed length and clamped on the optical fiber clamping finger 13. The rotation of the gear drives the bare optical fiber to rotate in a circular manner, thereby achieving uniform coating on the circumferential surface of the optical fiber.

[0037] Embodiment 3:

[0038] A rotating clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fibers, the structure of which is as described in Example 1, except that a gear ring is fixed inside a cavity of the device via a gear ring supporting and fixing plate 12, and there are four gear ring supporting and fixing plates arranged at intervals on both sides of the cavity, and the gear ring supporting and fixing plates are fixed inside the cavity via screws, and a fixing hole is provided at the upper end of each gear ring supporting and fixing plate for supporting and fixing the gear ring.

Claims

1. A rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber, characterized in that: It includes a main frame, a gear ring, and optical fiber clamping fingers. A circle of spur teeth is arranged on the inner side of the gear ring, and the gear ring is fixed in the coating equipment. Transmission shafts are arranged on both sides of the main frame, one end of the transmission shaft is gap-connected with the main frame, and a transmission shaft helical gear is arranged on the other end of the transmission shaft. The main frame is provided with two gear mounting boxes, and a driven gear is arranged on the gear mounting box. The driven gear includes an upper spur gear and a lower helical gear. The upper spur gear meshes with the spur teeth on the inner side of the gear ring, and the lower helical gear meshes with the helical gear of the transmission shaft. The optical fiber clamping finger comprises a spring piece, a connecting shaft, and a clamping finger reversing gear. The spring piece is used to clamp the optical fiber, and the spring piece and the clamping finger reversing gear are connected through the connecting shaft. At least one reversing gear is distributed on the transmission shaft, and at least one bearing groove is provided on the main frame below the transmission shaft, and the finger reversing gear is placed in the bearing groove, and the reversing gear is meshed with the finger reversing gear; The number of bearing grooves below the transmission shafts on both sides of the main frame is the same, and the spring pieces of the optical fiber clamping fingers carried thereon are arranged facing each other.

2. The rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A rotating fixed plate is arranged above the main frame, and the main frame is fixedly connected to the rotating fixed plate through a hook.

3. The rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of hooks is three.

4. The rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reversing gear is provided with a fixed countersunk threaded hole and is threadedly connected with the transmission shaft.

5. The rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear ring is fixed inside the equipment cavity through a gear ring supporting and fixing plate. There are four gear ring supporting and fixing plates, which are arranged at intervals on both sides of the cavity. The gear ring supporting and fixing plates are fixed inside the cavity by screws. A fixing hole is opened at the upper end of each gear ring supporting and fixing plate for supporting and fixing the gear ring.

6. The rotary clamping device for circumferential coating of bare optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main frame is a square frame, and a protective cover plate is arranged inside the frame. The protective cover plate is arranged above the optical fiber clamping fingers.

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