Grabbing mechanism and carrying device for optical fiber preform

Abstract

The utility model provides a grabbing mechanism and a carrying device for an optical fiber preform, and belongs to the technical field of optical fiber preforms. The grabbing mechanism is used for grabbing an adapter fixed to the top end of the optical fiber preform, and comprises a double-rod air cylinder, and the two ends of the double-rod air cylinder are each provided with a telescopic rod capable of stretching out and drawing back in the horizontal direction; each clamping jaw assembly is connected with the telescopic rod at one end of the double-rod air cylinder, openings are formed in the sides, close to each other, of the clamping jaw assemblies, the two openings are matched with the first connecting part, and the two clamping jaw assemblies are used for fixing the adapter through the two openings when the two clamping jaw assemblies are close to each other; the adapters are released when they are away from each other. The grabbing mechanism for the optical fiber preform rod is large in opening degree allowance, simple to control and capable of preventing the optical fiber preform rod from falling off.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of optical fiber preforms, and in particular to a gripping mechanism and a transporting device for optical fiber preforms. Background Art

[0002] OVD (outside vapor deposition) is a common method for producing optical fiber preforms. When using OVD to prepare optical fiber preforms, deposition is first performed on the exterior of a quartz base rod. Reactive gases are then deposited onto the exterior of the base rod through a flame to form glass powder. This powder accumulates into a preform, which is then sintered to form a dense glass structure. To produce optical fiber preforms of higher purity, degassing is generally performed after the sintering process. This involves moving the sintered preform to a degassing chamber where internal gases and impurities are removed under high temperature and vacuum. Degassing can achieve higher glass purity, thereby improving optical fiber performance.

[0003] During degassing, a handling mechanism is required to place the optical fiber preform into the degassing furnace and then remove the degassed optical fiber preform from the furnace. Typically, an adapter is affixed to the top of the optical fiber preform, and the handling mechanism directly contacts the adapter. Prior art typically uses an inclined claw structure to grasp or release the optical fiber preform. This means the claw structure opens or closes in a non-horizontal direction. This opening creates insufficient clearance for the adapter and can easily cause it to press against the adapter. Over time, this can damage the claw and adapter, reducing their fit and increasing the risk of the preform falling off. Utility Model Content

[0004] One object of the first aspect of the present utility model is to provide a gripping mechanism that has a large opening and closing margin, is simple to control, and can prevent an optical fiber preform from falling off.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to ensure the stability of the moving direction of the clamping jaw assembly.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to improve the adaptability of the gripping mechanism.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to make the structure compact and occupy a small volume.

[0008] An object of the second aspect of the present invention is to provide a handling device comprising the above-mentioned gripping mechanism.

[0009] An embodiment of the present utility model provides a gripping mechanism for an optical fiber preform, which is used to grip an adapter fixed to the top end of the optical fiber preform. The gripping mechanism includes:

[0010] A double-rod cylinder, with telescopic rods at both ends that can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction;

[0011] Two clamping jaw assemblies, each of which is connected to the telescopic rod at one end of the double-rod cylinder, and an opening is provided on the side of each clamping jaw assembly close to each other, and the two openings cooperate with the adapter. The two clamping jaw assemblies are used to fix the adapter through the two openings when they are close to each other, and release the adapter when they are away from each other.

[0012] Optionally, the gripping mechanism for the optical fiber preform further includes a slide rail assembly, wherein the slide rail assembly includes:

[0013] A guide rail, fixedly mounted on the double-rod cylinder and extending along the length of the telescopic rod;

[0014] Two sliders, each slider is fixedly connected to each of the clamping jaw assemblies, and the two sliders are respectively slidably connected to the guide rails.

[0015] Optionally, the clamping jaw assembly comprises a height-adjustable clamping jaw plate, and the clamping jaw plate is provided with the opening.

[0016] Optionally, the clamping jaw assembly further comprises a vertical plate portion and a horizontal plate portion that are fixedly connected;

[0017] The horizontal plate portion is provided with a connecting surface having a horizontal surface, and the connecting surface is connected to the slider;

[0018] The vertical plate portion is connected to the telescopic rod and is provided with a long strip-shaped hole extending in the vertical direction;

[0019] The clamping claw plate has mounting holes corresponding to the elongated holes, and the clamping claw plate is fixedly connected to the vertical plate portion by fasteners passing through the elongated holes and the mounting holes.

[0020] Optionally, the guide rail is arranged at the bottom of the double-rod cylinder, and the transverse plate and the sliding block are both arranged directly below the double-rod cylinder.

[0021] Optionally, the transverse plate portion includes a first transverse plate and a second transverse plate fixedly connected and stacked up and down;

[0022] The vertical plate portion includes a first vertical plate and a second vertical plate stacked up and down, which are fixedly connected to the first horizontal plate and the second horizontal plate respectively. The second vertical plate is connected to the clamping claw plate and is provided with the long strip hole.

[0023] Optionally, a through hole is provided at the first transverse plate, and the guide rail is mounted at the through holes of the two first transverse plates.

[0024] Optionally, the number of the elongated holes on each of the second vertical plates is not less than 2.

[0025] In particular, another aspect of the present invention further provides an optical fiber preform handling device, comprising an adapter and any one of the above-mentioned gripping mechanisms;

[0026] The adapter comprises:

[0027] a first connecting portion, comprising a truncated cone portion and a neck portion, wherein the diameter of the truncated cone portion is larger than the diameter of the neck portion, and the neck portion is engaged with the opening of the clamping jaw assembly;

[0028] The second connecting portion is fixed below the first connecting portion. The second connecting portion is provided with a slot, and the top of the optical fiber preform is fixedly disposed in the slot.

[0029] Optionally, the adapter further comprises a sealing cover fixedly connected to the second connecting portion, and the sealing cover is arranged on the top of the degassing furnace.

[0030] According to a first aspect of the utility model, a gripping mechanism for horizontally clamping and releasing an optical fiber preform is provided. The gripping mechanism drives two clamping jaw assemblies horizontally toward or away from each other via a double-rod cylinder, thereby gripping or releasing an adapter. This horizontal bidirectionally movable gripping mechanism has a large opening and closing margin, is simple to control, and does not interfere with the adapter during movement, thereby avoiding damage between the adapter and the gripping mechanism, thereby avoiding the risk of the optical fiber preform falling off.

[0031] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the gripping mechanism is also provided with a slide rail assembly, a slider is provided at the clamping jaw assembly, and a guide rail is provided at the double-rod cylinder. The slider can slide on the guide rail, thereby guiding and ensuring the stability of the moving direction of the clamping jaw assembly.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the clamping plate is set to a height-adjustable form. Therefore, when there is a length error in the optical fiber preform before degassing, the height of the clamping plate can be adjusted to adapt to this preparation error, thereby improving the adaptability of the gripping mechanism.

[0033] Furthermore, arranging the guide rail, the transverse plate and the slider below the double-rod cylinder can save the width of the entire structure, thereby making the structure compact and occupying a small volume. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the assembled state of the grabbing mechanism and the adapter according to one embodiment of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a front view of the assembled state of the grabbing mechanism and the adapter according to one embodiment of the utility model;

[0036] Reference numerals:

[0037] 100-grasping mechanism, 10-double-rod cylinder, 11-telescopic rod, 20-gripping claw assembly, 201-opening, 202-long strip hole, 203-through hole, 21-guide rail, 22-slider, 23-gripping claw plate, 24-first horizontal plate, 25-second horizontal plate, 26-first vertical plate, 27-second vertical plate, 200-adapter, 210-cone part, 220-axis neck part, 230-second connecting part, 231-slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0039] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be a central component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the specification of this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0040] 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.

[0041] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly in contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, a first feature being “above,” “above,” or “above” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below,” “below,” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in the specification of this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0043] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of the assembled state of the gripping mechanism 100 and the adapter 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a front view of the assembly state of the gripping mechanism 100 and the adapter 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the present application provides a gripping mechanism 100 for an optical fiber preform, which is used to grip an adapter 200 fixed to the top end of an optical fiber preform. The optical fiber preform can be fixed to the adapter 200 via a pin. In one embodiment, the gripping mechanism 100 includes a dual-rod cylinder 10 and two clamping jaw assemblies 20. The dual-rod cylinder 10 is a cylinder capable of extending telescopic rods 11 on opposite sides. In this embodiment, the dual-rod cylinder 10 is arranged horizontally, meaning that the telescopic rods 11 at both ends extend and retract horizontally. Each clamping jaw assembly 20 is connected to the telescopic rod 11 at one end of the dual-rod cylinder 10. Each clamping jaw assembly 20 is provided with an opening 201 on the side of the clamping jaw assemblies 20 that is close to each other. This opening 201 can be a semicircular or arc-shaped opening 201 that matches the cylindrical portion of the adapter 200. The two openings 201 cooperate with the adapter 200. The two clamping jaw assemblies 20 are used to secure the adapter 200 through the two openings 201 when the two clamping jaws assemblies are close to each other and to release the adapter 200 when the two clamping jaws assemblies are separated.

[0044] The gripping mechanism 100 first controls the retraction of the telescopic rods 11 on both sides of the double-rod cylinder 10, thereby driving the two clamping jaw assemblies 20 to approach each other until the adapter 200 on the optical fiber preform is clamped. When the optical fiber preform enters the degassing furnace, the telescopic rods 11 on both sides of the double-rod cylinder 10 are extended, causing the two clamping jaw assemblies 20 to release the adapter 200 and then execute other pick-and-place instructions, such as taking out other optical fiber preforms that have completed degassing, or placing the optical fiber preforms at the upward moving process into other inoperative degassing furnaces.

[0045] This embodiment provides a gripping mechanism 100 for horizontally clamping and releasing an optical fiber preform. The gripping mechanism 100 drives two clamping jaw assemblies 20 horizontally toward or away from each other via a double-rod cylinder 10, thereby gripping or releasing an adapter 200. This horizontal bidirectionally movable gripping mechanism 100 has a large opening and closing margin, is simple to control, and does not interfere with the adapter 200 during movement, thereby avoiding damage between the adapter 200 and the gripping mechanism 100 and thus avoiding the risk of the optical fiber preform falling off.

[0046] In a further embodiment, the gripping mechanism 100 further includes a slide rail assembly, which includes a guide rail 21 and two sliders 22. The guide rail 21 is fixedly mounted on the double-rod cylinder 10 and extends along the length direction of the telescopic rod 11. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the guide rail 21 is provided at the bottom of the double-rod cylinder 10. Each slider 22 is fixedly connected to each clamping jaw assembly 20, and the two sliders 22 are respectively in sliding connection with the guide rail 21. Figure 1 As shown in 2, the clamping jaw assembly 20 includes a clamping jaw plate 23, a vertical plate portion and a horizontal plate portion. The horizontal plate portion is provided with a connecting surface having a horizontal surface, and the connecting surface is connected to the slider 22. The vertical plate portion is connected to the telescopic rod 11 and is provided with an elongated hole 202 extending in the vertical direction. The number of the elongated holes 202 here can be one or more. Preferably, the number of the elongated holes 202 is not less than 2. The clamping jaw plate 23 has mounting holes corresponding to the elongated holes 202, and the clamping jaw plate 23 is fixedly connected to the vertical plate portion through fasteners passing through the elongated holes 202 and the mounting holes. The horizontal plate portion includes a first horizontal plate 24 and a second horizontal plate 25 that are fixedly connected and stacked up and down. A through hole 203 is provided at the first horizontal plate 24, and the guide rail 21 is mounted at the through holes 203 of the two first horizontal plates 24. The vertical plate portion includes a first vertical plate 26 and a second vertical plate 27 stacked one above the other, fixedly connected to the first horizontal plate 24 and the second horizontal plate 25, respectively. The second vertical plate 27 is connected to the clamping plate 23 and has an elongated hole 202. The clamping plate 23 has an opening 201. In one embodiment, the horizontal plate portion and the slider 22 are both located directly below the double-rod cylinder 10.

[0047] This embodiment also provides a slide rail assembly, a slider 22 is provided at the clamping jaw assembly 20, and a guide rail 21 is provided at the double-rod cylinder 10. The slider 22 can slide on the guide rail 21, thereby guiding and ensuring the stability of the moving direction of the clamping jaw assembly 20.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the clamping plate 23 is set to a height-adjustable form. Therefore, when there is a length error in the optical fiber preform before degassing, the height of the clamping plate 23 can be adjusted to adapt to this preparation error, thereby improving the adaptability of the gripping mechanism 100.

[0049] Furthermore, the guide rail 21, the transverse plate portion and the slider 22 are all arranged below the double-rod cylinder 10, which can save the width of the entire structure, thereby making the structure compact and occupying a smaller volume.

[0050] The present application also provides a device for transporting optical fiber preforms, such as Figure 1 As shown in Figure 2, the handling device includes an adapter 200 and the gripping mechanism 100 of any of the above embodiments. The adapter 200 includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion 230. The first connecting portion includes a truncated cone portion 210 and a neck portion 220. The diameter of the truncated cone portion 210 is larger than the diameter of the neck portion 220, and the neck portion 220 cooperates with the opening 201 of the clamping jaw assembly 20. The second connecting portion 230 is fixed below the first connecting portion. The second connecting portion 230 is provided with a slot 231. The top of the optical fiber preform is fixedly disposed in the slot 231, for example, by a pin to fix the optical fiber preform in the slot 231. The adapter 200 also includes a cover (not shown) fixedly connected to the second connecting portion 230. The cover is provided on the top of the degassing furnace to provide a seal. The portion of the adapter 200 that extends into the degassing furnace together with the optical fiber preform is made of a high-temperature resistant material, such as quartz. Of course, the handling device can also include a rod hanging rack (not shown) fixed above the double-rod cylinder 10, and the rod hanging rack is connected to the motion mechanism to realize the overall movement of the grasping mechanism 100, such as translation. The motion mechanism can be some commonly used moving components, which will not be repeated here.

[0051] The handling device of this embodiment includes a gripping mechanism 100 that can horizontally clamp and release the optical fiber preform. The gripping mechanism 100 drives the two clamping jaw assemblies 20 horizontally toward or away from each other through the double-rod cylinder 10, thereby gripping or releasing the adapter 200. This horizontal bidirectional moving gripping mechanism 100 has a large opening and closing margin, is simple to control, and will not interfere with the adapter 200 during movement, thereby avoiding damage between the adapter 200 and the gripping mechanism 100, thereby avoiding the risk of the optical fiber preform falling off.

[0052] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementations of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present utility model patent shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gripping mechanism for an optical fiber preform, used for gripping an adapter fixed to the top end of the optical fiber preform, characterized in that: The gripping mechanism comprises: A double-rod cylinder, with telescopic rods at both ends that can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction; Two clamping jaw assemblies, each of which is connected to the telescopic rod at one end of the double-rod cylinder, and an opening is provided on the side of each clamping jaw assembly close to each other, and the two openings cooperate with the adapter. The two clamping jaw assemblies are used to fix the adapter through the two openings when they are close to each other, and release the adapter when they are away from each other.

2. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a slide rail assembly, the slide rail assembly comprising: A guide rail, fixedly mounted on the double-rod cylinder and extending along the length of the telescopic rod; Two sliders, each slider is fixedly connected to each of the clamping jaw assemblies, and the two sliders are respectively slidably connected to the guide rails.

3. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping jaw assembly includes a height-adjustable clamping jaw plate, and the clamping jaw plate is provided with the opening.

4. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping jaw assembly further includes a vertical plate portion and a horizontal plate portion that are fixedly connected; The horizontal plate portion is provided with a connecting surface having a horizontal surface, and the connecting surface is connected to the slider; The vertical plate portion is connected to the telescopic rod and is provided with a long strip-shaped hole extending in the vertical direction; The clamping claw plate has mounting holes corresponding to the elongated holes, and the clamping claw plate is fixedly connected to the vertical plate portion by fasteners passing through the elongated holes and the mounting holes.

5. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide rail is arranged at the bottom of the double-rod cylinder, and the transverse plate and the sliding block are both arranged directly below the double-rod cylinder.

6. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transverse plate portion includes a first transverse plate and a second transverse plate that are fixedly connected and stacked up and down; The vertical plate portion includes a first vertical plate and a second vertical plate stacked up and down, which are fixedly connected to the first horizontal plate and the second horizontal plate respectively. The second vertical plate is connected to the clamping claw plate and is provided with the long strip hole.

7. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first transverse plates are provided with through holes, and the guide rails are mounted on the through holes of the two first transverse plates.

8. The optical fiber preform gripping mechanism according to claim 6, wherein: The number of the elongated holes on each of the second vertical plates is no less than 2.

9. A device for transporting optical fiber preform, characterized in that: comprising an adapter and a gripping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8; The adapter comprises: a first connecting portion, comprising a truncated cone portion and a neck portion, wherein the diameter of the truncated cone portion is larger than the diameter of the neck portion, and the neck portion is engaged with the opening of the clamping jaw assembly; The second connecting portion is fixed below the first connecting portion. The second connecting portion is provided with a slot, and the top of the optical fiber preform is fixedly disposed in the slot.

10. The optical fiber preform transport device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The adapter further comprises a sealing cover fixedly connected to the second connecting portion, and the sealing cover is arranged on the top of the degassing furnace.

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