A synchronous torsion traction type helical optical fiber preparation device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a synchronous torsion traction type helical optical fiber preparation device, including base, torsion subassembly and set in the other end of the base and with the opposite stretch subassembly of torsion subassembly, the other end of multiple braided optical fibers passes through the different position or same position of stretch subassembly, and the translation subassembly, drive torsion subassembly and stretch subassembly carry out displacement, and the circumferential constraint range of stretch subassembly to braided optical fiber is less than the circumferential constraint range of torsion subassembly to braided optical fiber, and the part of braided optical fiber between stretch subassembly and torsion subassembly keeps the tensioned state. Through above setting, realized helical optical fiber in the accurate torsion and equal -speed traction closed -loop control in the preparation process, the coaxiality and tension of optical fiber are kept constant throughout, eliminate the micro -groove processing problem, twist and pull out of sync and the screw pitch drift etc. Pain point, greatly promote helical optical fiber's batch consistency and stress uniformity, realize the high -precision automation of shape sensing optical fiber manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical fiber manufacturing technology, and in particular to a synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber preparation device. Background Technology

[0002] In the fabrication of shape-sensing optical fibers, micron-level grooves are typically etched along the axial direction on high-hardness, high-resilience NiTi hyperelastic wires, the fiber is embedded, and then cured with a colloid. However, cutting NiTi alloy microstructures is extremely difficult, easily resulting in burrs, heat-affected layers, and deformation stress. Helical optical fibers can effectively solve this problem because they are formed by helically wrapping multiple fiber monomers, possessing natural resistance to torsion and conformability.

[0003] Currently, the fabrication process of helical optical fibers mostly employs manual or separate torsion pulling processes. For example, a feasible technical approach is to first wind the optical fiber into a helix manually or using separate equipment, and then use an independent traction mechanism to stretch and shape it at a constant speed. However, because torque and tension cannot be coupled in real time, the pitch is prone to drift throughout the entire process, coaxiality is difficult to maintain, and insufficient multi-point limiting often introduces micro-bending and eccentricity, which greatly reduces the consistency and reliability of batch products. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a synchronous torsion-traction spiral fiber fabrication device, which can achieve synchronous torsion-constant velocity traction coordinated control while maintaining constant tension and coaxiality, thereby enabling high-precision and high-consistency mass production of shape-sensing fibers.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is a synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber preparation device, including a base, a torsion component disposed at one end of the base, one end of multiple braided optical fibers constrained at different positions of the torsion component and rotating under the drive of the torsion component; and a tension component disposed at the other end of the base and opposite to the torsion component, the other ends of the multiple braided optical fibers passing through different positions or the same position of the tension component.

[0006] A translation component is disposed on the base and drives the torsion component and / or the tension component to move toward or away from each other;

[0007] Wherein, the circumferential constraint range of the stretching component on the plurality of braided optical fibers is smaller than the circumferential constraint range of the torsion component on the plurality of braided optical fibers, and at least the portion of the plurality of braided optical fibers between the stretching component and the torsion component remains in a taut state.

[0008] Preferably, the torsion assembly includes an indexing gear and a torsion motor. One end of each of the multiple braided optical fibers passes through different positions of the indexing gear. The torsion motor is driven by the indexing gear and drives the multiple braided optical fibers to rotate synchronously.

[0009] Preferably, the torsion assembly further includes a core guide tube, which is fixed to the torsion assembly and rotatably engaged with the center position of the indexing gear, and the core optical fiber passes through the core guide tube, the indexing gear and the tensioning assembly in sequence;

[0010] Furthermore, multiple braided optical fibers are evenly distributed around the core optical fiber, and the core optical fiber is kept taut at least in the portion between the tensioning component and the torsion component.

[0011] Preferably, the stretching assembly includes a porous guide tube with a central hole and a plurality of constraint holes distributed around the central hole. The core optical fiber passes through the central hole, and the plurality of braided optical fibers pass through the constraint holes one by one.

[0012] Preferably, the central hole and the core guide tube are coaxial in the length direction.

[0013] Preferably, the indexing gear has multiple through mounting holes evenly distributed along its center, and the multiple braided optical fibers are sequentially inserted into the mounting holes, with the distance between the mounting holes and the center being greater than the distance between the constraint holes and the center hole.

[0014] Preferably, the torsion assembly includes a support frame, and the torsion motor is fixed on the support frame; the core guide tube is detachably connected to the support frame, and the indexing gear is rotatably disposed at the end of the core guide tube.

[0015] Preferably, the stretching assembly includes a sliding frame, and the porous conduit is detachably connected to the sliding frame.

[0016] Preferably, one end of each of the multiple braided optical fibers and core optical fibers is fixed to the torsion assembly, and the other end of each of the multiple braided optical fibers and core optical fibers is fixed to the same position on the sliding frame / base.

[0017] Preferably, the sliding frame is slidably fitted onto the base and drivenly connected to the translation component.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. It achieves closed-loop control of precise torsion and constant speed traction in the fabrication process of helical optical fiber, maintaining constant coaxiality and tension of the fiber throughout the process, eliminating pain points such as microgroove processing difficulties, asynchronous torsion and traction, and pitch drift, and significantly improving the batch consistency and stress uniformity of helical optical fiber, realizing high-precision automated manufacturing of shape sensing optical fiber.

[0020] 2. This solution can periodically feed back tension-torque data during the fabrication of spiral optical fibers, providing an online monitoring interface for subsequent uniform coating and curing processes.

[0021] 3. The indexing gear, core guide tube, and multi-hole guide tube are all detachable and installable, making it easy to replace with different sizes and quantities to adapt to different optical fiber fabrication requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this embodiment;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the torsion assembly;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tensioning assembly.

[0026] 10. Base; 11. Braided optical fiber; 12. Core optical fiber; 20. Torsion assembly; 21. Indexing gear; 22. Torsion motor; 23. Core guide tube; 24. Mounting hole; 25. Stand; 30. Tension assembly; 31. Sliding frame; 32. Multi-hole guide tube; 33. Center hole; 34. Constraint hole; 40. Translation assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0028] In scenarios such as minimally invasive surgical navigation, flexible robotics, and structural health monitoring, real-time, high-precision acquisition of the three-dimensional shape of flexible bodies is crucial for safe manipulation. Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), due to their small size, high sensitivity, and resistance to electromagnetic interference, have become one of the mainstream solutions for shape sensing. A typical approach involves writing grating regions onto single-core or multi-core optical fibers, then bonding multiple fibers to a substrate in orthogonal, triangular, or other configurations, and calculating curvature and torsion from wavelength drift. To obtain greater bending tolerance and more stable mechanical support in complex spaces, researchers often solidify optical fibers onto NiTi hyperelastic wires. The high elasticity of NiTi reduces tensile damage to the fiber, while the fiber provides a strain measurement channel.

[0029] Current fabrication processes generally employ a "grooving + adhesive bonding" method. This involves uniformly cutting three 0.3mm × 0.3mm straight grooves along a 120° angle on a NiTi filament with a diameter of approximately 1mm, then embedding an optical fiber containing 10 sets of FBGs and curing it under UV light. This process faces three major bottlenecks: ① NiTi has high hardness and resilience, making microgrooving prone to generating burrs and heat-affected layers, reducing groove accuracy; ② The thickness and modulus of the adhesive layer are difficult to control uniformly, leading to inconsistent strain transfer, requiring correction using a multilayer strain transfer model; ③ The straight groove arrangement can only distinguish planar bending, with limited ability to decouple torsional forces.

[0030] Therefore, this utility model discloses a synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber preparation device. The optical fiber is wound with constant pitch, which can naturally offset the torsional load and improve the measurement accuracy of bending-torsion coupling. Moreover, this solution can achieve synchronous torsion-constant velocity traction coordinated control under the condition of maintaining constant tension and coaxiality, so as to achieve high-precision and high-consistency shape sensing optical fiber mass production.

[0031] Specifically, the preparation apparatus, such as Figure 1-3 As shown, it includes a base 10, a torsion assembly 20 disposed at one end of the base 10, one end of multiple braided optical fibers 11 constrained at different positions of the torsion assembly 20 and rotated under the drive of the torsion assembly 20; and a tension assembly 30 disposed at the other end of the base 10 and opposite to the torsion assembly 20, the other ends of the multiple braided optical fibers 11 passing through different positions or the same position of the tension assembly 30.

[0032] And a translation component 40, disposed on the base 10, drives the torsion component 20 and / or the tension component 30 to move toward or away from each other;

[0033] Wherein, the circumferential constraint range of the stretching component 30 on the plurality of braided optical fibers 11 is smaller than the circumferential constraint range of the torsion component 20 on the plurality of braided optical fibers 11, and at least the portion of the plurality of braided optical fibers 11 between the stretching component 30 and the torsion component 20 remains in a taut state.

[0034] In one embodiment, the torsion assembly 20 includes a support frame 25, in which a torsion motor 22 and an indexing gear 21 are installed. One end of multiple braided optical fibers 11 passes through different positions of the indexing gear 21. The torsion motor 22 is driven by the indexing gear 21 and drives the multiple braided optical fibers 11 to rotate synchronously. In this embodiment, starting the torsion motor 22 drives the indexing gear 21 to rotate, thereby driving the multiple braided optical fibers 11 to rotate synchronously. Since the other end of the multiple braided optical fibers 11 is constrained on the tension assembly 30, and the distance between the tension assembly 30 and the torsion assembly 20 can be changed under the drive of the translation assembly 40, the braiding of the spiral optical fiber can be realized, ultimately achieving the effect of synchronous torsion and tension and equal pitch.

[0035] Furthermore, the torsion assembly 20 also includes a core guide tube 23, which is fixed to the torsion assembly 20 and rotatably engaged with the center position of the indexing gear 21. The core optical fiber 12 passes through the core guide tube 23, the indexing gear 21 and the tension assembly 30 in sequence. Multiple braided optical fibers 11 are evenly distributed around the core optical fiber 12, and the portion of the core optical fiber 12 between the tension assembly 30 and the torsion assembly 20 is kept taut.

[0036] In this embodiment, the addition of a core fiber 12 as the core of the spiral fiber can significantly enhance the various properties of the spiral fiber and also facilitate the braiding process of multiple braided fibers 11. Due to the structural design of the core guide tube 23, which is positioned at the center of the indexing gear 21, the core guide tube 23 and the core fiber 12 do not rotate when the indexing gear 21 rotates, providing a core structure and reference for the braiding fabrication of the spiral fiber.

[0037] In one embodiment, the tensioning assembly 30 includes a sliding frame 31 and a porous guide tube 32. The porous guide tube 32 has a central hole 33 and a plurality of constraint holes 34 distributed around the central hole 33. The core optical fiber 12 passes through the central hole 33, and a plurality of braided optical fibers 11 are sequentially passed through the constraint holes 34. That is, the core optical fiber 12 passes through the core guide tube 23, the center of the indexing gear 21, and the central hole 33 of the tensioning assembly 30 in sequence. Each braided optical fiber 11 passes through the mounting hole 24 on the indexing gear 21 and the constraint hole 34 on the porous guide tube 32 in sequence. Both ends of the core optical fiber 12 and the braided optical fiber 11 are constrained to keep them in a taut state, which facilitates the fabrication of helical optical fibers.

[0038] Furthermore, as an optimization, the central hole 33 and the core guide tube 23 are coaxial in the length direction and parallel to the translation direction of the translation component 40. In this way, during the translation of the stretching component 30, the core optical fiber 12 is in a relatively stable state, avoiding the influence of various structures on it, and also helping to improve the performance of the spiral optical fiber.

[0039] In one embodiment, the indexing gear 21 has a plurality of through mounting holes 24 evenly distributed around its center. The plurality of braided optical fibers 11 are sequentially inserted into each mounting hole 24, and the distance between the mounting holes 24 and the center is greater than the distance between the constraint holes 34 and the central hole 33. Specifically, the mounting holes 24 are evenly distributed on the indexing gear 21 with a uniform radius around its center, and their radius determines the distance between the braided optical fibers 11 and the core optical fibers 12 on the indexing gear 21. Similarly, the plurality of constraint holes 34 are evenly distributed on the porous guide tube 32 with a smaller radius around the central hole 33. This configuration ensures that the spacing between the braided optical fibers 11 gradually decreases from the indexing gear 21 to the porous guide tube 32, creating a converging effect. This facilitates smoother winding when the indexing gear 21 rotates. Simultaneously, as the porous guide tube 32 moves towards the indexing gear 21, the winding progress and the pitch of the spiral optical fiber can be controlled. Thus, after setting the rotation parameters of the torsion motor 22 and the translation parameters of the translation component 40, the purpose of torsion-pulling synchronization and equal pitch can be well achieved, further improving many performance characteristics of the spiral optical fiber.

[0040] In any of the above embodiments, both the core guide tube 23 and the porous guide tube 32 can be detachably installed on the top of the support frame 25. They can be quickly positioned and fixed between the support frame 25 and the sliding frame 31 using positioning blocks and bolts. Furthermore, the core guide tube 23 and the porous guide tube 32 can be designed in multiple different sizes and with different numbers of openings, allowing for replacement and adaptation according to the core count requirements of the spiral optical fiber to be fabricated. Additionally, the indexing gear 21 is rotatably mounted at the end of the core guide tube 23, and the two can be rotatably connected via bearings.

[0041] In any of the above embodiments, the upright frame 25 is fixed to the base 10, the sliding frame 31 is slidably fitted onto the base 10, and the translation component 40 includes a translation motor and a synchronous belt, which are driven and connected to the sliding frame, thereby driving the sliding frame 31 to reciprocate in the horizontal direction. In another embodiment, the translation component 40 may also employ other common drive structures, such as driving the upright frame 25 to reciprocate, or driving the upright frame 25 and the sliding frame 31 to move simultaneously.

[0042] In any of the above embodiments, in order to maintain a constant tension and tautness of the braided optical fiber and the core optical fiber during braiding preparation, one end of each of the braided optical fiber and the core optical fiber is fixed to the torsion assembly, and the other end of each of the braided optical fiber and the core optical fiber is fixed to the same position of the sliding frame / base. The fixing method can be pressing, gluing, or winding.

[0043] In the description of this specification, the use of terms such as "Embodiment 1," "this embodiment," or "in one embodiment" indicates that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example; moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any appropriate manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] In the description of this specification, the terms "connection," "installation," "fixing," "setting," and "having" are interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] In the description of this specification, relational terms such as “first” and “second” are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase “comprising one…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0046] The above description of the embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply the technology of this invention. Those skilled in the art can readily make various modifications to these examples and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without creative effort. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Modifications in the following situations should be within the scope of protection of this invention: ① New technical solutions implemented based on the technical solution of this utility model and combined with existing common knowledge, where the technical effects of the new technical solution do not exceed the technical effects of this utility model; ② Equivalent substitutions of some features of the technical solution of this utility model using known technology, resulting in the same technical effects as those of this utility model; ③ Extendable technical solutions based on the technical solution of this utility model, where the substantive content of the extended technical solution does not exceed the technical solution of this utility model; ④ Equivalent transformations made using the content of this utility model specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields.

Claims

1. A synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication device, comprising a base, characterized in that, Also includes: A torsion assembly is disposed at one end of the base, with one end of multiple braided optical fibers constrained at different positions of the torsion assembly and rotating under the drive of the torsion assembly; a tension assembly is disposed at the other end of the base and opposite to the torsion assembly, with the other ends of multiple braided optical fibers passing through different positions or the same position of the tension assembly. A translation component is disposed on the base and drives the torsion component and / or the tension component to move toward or away from each other; Wherein, the circumferential constraint range of the stretching component on the plurality of braided optical fibers is smaller than the circumferential constraint range of the torsion component on the plurality of braided optical fibers, and at least the portion of the plurality of braided optical fibers between the stretching component and the torsion component remains in a taut state.

2. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torsion assembly includes an indexing gear and a torsion motor. One end of each of the multiple braided optical fibers passes through different positions of the indexing gear. The torsion motor is connected to the indexing gear and drives the multiple braided optical fibers to rotate synchronously.

3. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The torsion assembly also includes a core guide tube, which is fixed to the torsion assembly and rotatably engaged with the center position of the indexing gear. The core optical fiber passes through the core guide tube, the indexing gear, and the tensioning assembly in sequence. Furthermore, multiple braided optical fibers are evenly distributed around the core optical fiber, and the core optical fiber is kept taut at least in the portion between the tensioning component and the torsion component.

4. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The stretching assembly includes a porous guide tube with a central hole and multiple constraint holes distributed around the central hole. The core optical fiber passes through the central hole, and the multiple braided optical fibers pass through the constraint holes one by one.

5. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The central hole and the core guide tube are coaxial in the length direction.

6. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The indexing gear has multiple through mounting holes evenly distributed along its center. Multiple braided optical fibers are inserted into the mounting holes one by one, and the distance between the mounting holes and the center is greater than the distance between the constraint holes and the center hole.

7. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The torsion assembly includes a support frame, and the torsion motor is fixed on the support frame; the core guide tube is detachably connected to the support frame, and the indexing gear is rotatably disposed at the end of the core guide tube.

8. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The stretching assembly includes a sliding frame, and the porous conduit is detachably connected to the sliding frame.

9. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, One end of each of the braided optical fibers and the core optical fibers is fixed to the torsion assembly, and the other end of each of the braided optical fibers and the core optical fibers is fixed to the same position on the sliding frame / base.

10. The synchronous torsion-traction spiral optical fiber fabrication apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The sliding frame is slidably fitted onto the base and is driven to connect with the translation component.

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