Online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preform

Abstract

The utility model provides an optical fiber preform rod on-line collimation monitoring and automatic correction device which comprises a tower, a translation device and a chuck clamp are arranged at the upper end of the tower, the chuck clamp is used for clamping an optical fiber preform rod, the translation device is used for adjusting the horizontal position of the chuck clamp, and a fiber drawing furnace is arranged below the chuck clamp. A sensor mounting plate is arranged at an upper end opening of the wire drawing furnace, a through hole is formed in the center of the sensor mounting plate, an X-direction position sensor and a Y-direction position sensor which are aligned to the center of the through hole of the sensor mounting plate are arranged on the sensor mounting plate, and the detection direction of the X-direction position sensor is perpendicular to that of the Y-direction position sensor. And the problem of collimation deviation of the preform during optical fiber drawing is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical fiber preforms, and in particular to an online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms. Background Technology

[0002] Optical fiber is short for optical waveguide fiber. It transmits signals in the form of light pulses and is primarily a network transmission medium made of glass or acrylic glass. Optical fibers can be categorized into communication fibers and specialty fibers based on their applications. Communication fibers use large-diameter, large-volume preforms, and online collimation misalignment of these preforms can lead to poor sealing of the drawing furnace opening, thus affecting fiber strength. Specialty fibers, due to their specific application environments and stringent geometric requirements, face challenges during the drawing process where preform collimation misalignment can alter the fiber structure, leading to changes in fiber performance and wasting time and resources.

[0003] In particular, microstructured optical fibers, also known as photonic crystal fibers or porous fibers, have a unique microporous structure that is key to ensuring their performance. If the preform collimation is misaligned during the drawing process, uneven heating in the drawing furnace will affect the formation of the microporous structure, resulting in unstable optical performance or even unusability. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention provides an online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms, which solves the problem of collimation deviation of preforms during optical fiber drawing.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: an online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms, including a tower, a translation device and a chuck clamp at the upper end of the tower, the chuck clamp for clamping the optical fiber preform, the translation device for adjusting the horizontal position of the chuck clamp, a drawing furnace below the chuck clamp, a sensor mounting plate at the upper port of the drawing furnace, a through hole in the center of the sensor mounting plate, an X-axis position sensor and a Y-axis position sensor aligned with the center of the through hole on the sensor mounting plate, and the detection directions of the X-axis position sensor and the Y-axis position sensor are perpendicular.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the translation device includes a fixed plate connected to the tower. The fixed plate is provided with a first movable plate that is slidably connected, and the first movable plate is provided with a second movable plate that is slidably connected. The moving directions of the first movable plate and the second movable plate are perpendicular, and the second movable plate is connected to a chuck clamp.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the fixed plate has a hollow hole in the center, the first movable plate has a first waist-shaped hole in the center, and the second movable plate has a second waist-shaped hole in the center. The length direction of the first waist-shaped hole is the moving direction of the first movable plate, and the length direction of the second waist-shaped hole is the moving direction of the second movable plate.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment, a dovetail groove is provided on one side of the first movable plate and the fixed plate, and a dovetail protrusion is provided on the other side of the first movable plate and the second movable plate. The dovetail groove is used to slide and engage with the dovetail protrusion. The length directions of the dovetail groove and the dovetail protrusion of the first movable plate are perpendicular to each other.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, a first connecting ear is provided on the side end of the fixed plate, a second connecting ear is provided on one side end of the first movable plate, an X-axis linear drive electric cylinder is connected to the first connecting ear, the cylinder rod end of the X-axis linear drive electric cylinder is connected to the second connecting ear, a third connecting ear is provided on the other side end of the first movable plate, a fourth connecting ear is provided on the side end of the second movable plate, a Y-axis linear drive electric cylinder is connected to the third connecting ear, the cylinder rod end of the Y-axis linear drive electric cylinder is connected to the fourth connecting ear.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: the chuck clamp installation translation device automatically adjusts the horizontal position of the preform, ensuring that the preform is centered after entering the drawing furnace, which not only improves the sealing of the furnace opening, but also ensures that the preform will not be tilted and subjected to force, thus affecting the formation of the microporous structure; it can achieve the stability of alignment during the entire preform drawing process, ensuring the uniformity of optical fiber strength and geometric structure; the translation device adopts a double slider type, with a hollow hole structure in the center to avoid the passage of the preform, which ensures accuracy while making the structure driving the translation more compact. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chuck clamp of this utility model.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a side view of the translation device of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the translation device of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a system connection diagram of this utility model.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Tower; 2. Wire drawing furnace; 3. Sensor mounting plate; 4. X-axis position sensor; 401. Y-axis position sensor; 5. Chuck clamp; 6. Translation device; 601. Fixing plate; 602. First movable plate; 603. Second movable plate; 604. Hole; 605. First waist-shaped hole; 606. Second waist-shaped hole; 607. Dovetail groove; 608. Dovetail protrusion; 609. First connecting ear; 610. Second connecting ear; 611. Third connecting ear; 612. Fourth connecting ear; 7. Protective cover; 8. Fiber optic preform; 9. X-axis linear drive electric cylinder; 10. Y-axis linear drive electric cylinder; 11. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Example 1:

[0019] like Figure 1-5 In this invention, an online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms includes a tower 1. A translation device 6 and a chuck clamp 5 are provided at the upper end of the tower 1. The chuck clamp 5 is used to clamp the optical fiber preform 8, and the translation device 6 is used to adjust the horizontal position of the chuck clamp 5. A wire drawing furnace 2 is provided below the chuck clamp 5. A sensor mounting plate 3 is provided at the upper port of the wire drawing furnace 2. A through hole is provided in the center of the sensor mounting plate 3. An X-axis position sensor 4 and a Y-axis position sensor 401 are provided on the sensor mounting plate 3, which are aligned with the center of the through hole. The detection directions of the X-axis position sensor 4 and the Y-axis position sensor 401 are perpendicular.

[0020] A sensor mounting plate 3 is installed on the upper end of the standard wire drawing furnace 2, with the through hole in the center of the sensor mounting plate 3 aligned with the axis of the heating channel inside the wire drawing furnace 2. Two pairs of X-axis position sensors 4 and Y-axis position sensors 401 are pre-calibrated to be equidistant from the center of the through hole in the sensor mounting plate 3. After the chuck clamp 5 holds the optical fiber preform 8, the translation device 6 adjusts the horizontal position of the chuck clamp 5 so that the axis of the optical fiber preform 8 is exactly aligned with the axis of the sensor mounting plate 3 and the wire drawing furnace 2.

[0021] The chuck fixture 5 is a three-jaw chuck with a central perforation. Soft blocks are installed on the jaw surfaces to prevent damage to the precast bars. A protective cover 7 is provided on the outside of the chuck fixture 5 and the translation device 6.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the translation device 6 includes a fixed plate 601, which is connected to the tower 1. The fixed plate 601 is provided with a first movable plate 602 that is slidably connected, and the first movable plate 602 is provided with a second movable plate 603 that is slidably connected. The moving directions of the first movable plate 602 and the second movable plate 603 are perpendicular, and the second movable plate 603 is connected to the chuck clamp 5.

[0023] The first movable plate 602 and the second movable plate 603 work together to realize the two-dimensional movement of the chuck clamp 5.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the fixed plate 601 has a hollow hole 604 in the center, the first movable plate 602 has a first waist-shaped hole 605 in the center, and the second movable plate 603 has a second waist-shaped hole 606 in the center. The length direction of the first waist-shaped hole 605 is the moving direction of the first movable plate 602, and the length direction of the second waist-shaped hole 606 is the moving direction of the second movable plate 603.

[0025] The perforated hole 604, the first oblong hole 605, and the second oblong hole 606 are used to avoid interference between the optical fiber preform 8 and the translation device 6 and the optical fiber preform 8 when the chuck clamp 5 is translated. Similarly, the chuck clamp 5 and the protective cover 7 are also provided with perforated clearance hole structures.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, a dovetail groove 607 is provided on one side of the first movable plate 602 and the fixed plate 601, and a dovetail protrusion 608 is provided on the other side of the first movable plate 602 and the second movable plate 603. The dovetail groove 607 is used to slide and engage with the dovetail protrusion 608. The length directions of the dovetail groove 607 and the dovetail protrusion 608 of the first movable plate 602 are perpendicular to each other.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, a first connecting ear 609 is provided on the side of the fixed plate 601, a second connecting ear 610 is provided on one side of the first movable plate 602, an X-axis linear drive electric cylinder 9 is connected to the first connecting ear 609, the cylinder rod end of the X-axis linear drive electric cylinder 9 is connected to the second connecting ear 610, a third connecting ear 611 is provided on the other side of the first movable plate 602, a fourth connecting ear 612 is provided on the side of the second movable plate 603, a Y-axis linear drive electric cylinder 10 is connected to the third connecting ear 611, the cylinder rod end of the Y-axis linear drive electric cylinder 10 is connected to the fourth connecting ear 612.

[0028] X-axis position sensor 4, Y-axis position sensor 401, X-axis linear drive cylinder 9, and Y-axis linear drive cylinder 10 are electrically connected to controller 11. During the fiber preform drawing process, X-axis linear drive cylinder 9 and Y-axis linear drive cylinder 10 can be activated to adjust the positions of the first movable plate 602 and the second movable plate 603, thereby changing the horizontal position of the chuck clamp 5.

[0029] The drive cylinder can be a servo cylinder or a servo motor, but the motor shaft needs to be matched with a screw, and the end of the screw needs to be rotatably connected to 610 and 612.

[0030] Example 2:

[0031] An online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms mainly includes a sensor fixture, four or more position sensors, a motion controller, two motors, and a preform chuck fixture.

[0032] The sensor fixture is made of stainless steel and has internal cooling water to prevent the high temperature at the furnace opening from affecting it. It is connected to the upper flange of the wire drawing furnace with six or more screws, and it is necessary to ensure that the sensor fixture and the upper flange of the wire drawing furnace are concentric after assembly.

[0033] A pair of position sensors are placed along the X-axis to measure the distances to the left and right surfaces of the preform, respectively, ensuring that the two sensors are on the same straight line; another pair is placed along the Y-axis to measure the distances to the front and rear surfaces of the preform, again ensuring that the two sensors are on the same straight line.

[0034] The main function of this motion controller is to perform calculations based on the measurement data from the position sensor. When the collimation offset of the preform exceeds the set value, it issues a command to control the running direction of the motor.

[0035] This motor is a two-axis motor with X and Y axes, capable of forward and reverse rotation and adjustable rotation speed. It is mainly used for horizontal movement of precast bars to ensure that their alignment is within the set range.

[0036] The precast bar chuck fixture is made of stainless steel and is mainly used for clamping precast bars.

[0037] This device has a wide range of applications, suitable for both conventional communication optical fiber production and, more importantly, for the drawing requirements of specialty optical fibers. It requires only modifications to existing drawing furnaces, making it easy to design and implement. It solves the problems of poor fiber strength and unstable fiber geometry caused by preform collimation misalignment during the drawing process.

[0038] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of this utility model and should not be considered as limitations on this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model should be the technical solution described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms, characterized in that: The system includes a tower (1), a translation device (6) and a chuck clamp (5) at the top of the tower (1). The chuck clamp (5) is used to clamp the optical fiber preform (8). The translation device (6) is used to adjust the horizontal position of the chuck clamp (5). A wire drawing furnace (2) is located below the chuck clamp (5). A sensor mounting plate (3) is located at the upper port of the wire drawing furnace (2). A through hole is located in the center of the sensor mounting plate (3). An X-axis position sensor (4) and a Y-axis position sensor (401) aligned with the center of the through hole of the sensor mounting plate (3) are located on the sensor mounting plate (3). The detection directions of the X-axis position sensor (4) and the Y-axis position sensor (401) are perpendicular.

2. The online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms according to claim 1, characterized in that: The translation device (6) includes a fixed plate (601), which is connected to the tower (1). The fixed plate (601) is provided with a first movable plate (602) that is slidably connected, and the first movable plate (602) is provided with a second movable plate (603) that is slidably connected. The moving directions of the first movable plate (602) and the second movable plate (603) are perpendicular, and the second movable plate (603) is connected to the chuck clamp (5).

3. The online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed plate (601) has a hollow hole (604) in the center, the first movable plate (602) has a first waist-shaped hole (605) in the center, and the second movable plate (603) has a second waist-shaped hole (606) in the center. The length direction of the first waist-shaped hole (605) is the moving direction of the first movable plate (602), and the length direction of the second waist-shaped hole (606) is the moving direction of the second movable plate (603).

4. The online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first movable plate (602) has a dovetail groove (607) on one side and the fixed plate (601), and the second movable plate (603) has a dovetail protrusion (608) on the other side of the first movable plate (602). The dovetail groove (607) is used to slide and engage with the dovetail protrusion (608). The length directions of the dovetail groove (607) and the dovetail protrusion (608) of the first movable plate (602) are perpendicular to each other.

5. The online collimation monitoring and automatic correction device for optical fiber preforms according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed plate (601) has a first connecting ear (609) on one side, and the first movable plate (602) has a second connecting ear (610) on one side. An X-direction linear drive electric cylinder (9) is connected to the first connecting ear (609). The cylinder rod end of the X-direction linear drive electric cylinder (9) is connected to the second connecting ear (610). The first movable plate (602) has a third connecting ear (611) on the other side, and the second movable plate (603) has a fourth connecting ear (612) on one side. A Y-direction linear drive electric cylinder (10) is connected to the third connecting ear (611). The cylinder rod end of the Y-direction linear drive electric cylinder (10) is connected to the fourth connecting ear (612).

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