Device for manufacturing glass fine particle deposit

Abstract

To provide a glass fine particle deposit enabling a long service life of a gas piping.SOLUTION: A glass fine particle deposit comprises: a rod-like burner synthesizing glass fine particles; a burner stand supporting the burner and movable in a first direction, in which the burner extends; a housing, inside of which the burner and the burner stand are arranged; and a plurality of gas pipelines for supplying gas to synthesize glass fine particles. The burner stand has a fist pipeline fixing part for fixing and aligning the gas pipelines in a second direction crossing with the first direction. The housing has a second pipeline fixing part for fixing and aligning the gas pipelines in the second direction. When seen from a direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, the gas pipelines between the first and second pipeline fixing parts do not cross each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a soot glass deposit body. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a soot glass deposit body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-166992 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses that gas pipes are connected to multiple burners, and that a burner stand supporting the burners moves in one direction. When glass particles ejected from the burners adhere to the target glass particle deposit, the diameter of the glass particle deposit increases, so that it is necessary to move the burner stand appropriately to move the burner away from the glass particle deposit accordingly.

[0005] However, moving the burner stand places a strain on the gas piping, which can be one of the causes of accelerated deterioration of the gas piping. Deteriorated gas piping needs to be replaced as needed. Replacing gas piping requires several days of work time and labor, so there was a need to extend the life of gas piping in order to operate manufacturing equipment more efficiently.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body, the gas piping of which has a long service life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An apparatus for manufacturing a soot glass deposit body according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A rod-shaped burner for synthesizing glass particles; A burner stand that supports the burner and is movable in a first direction in which the burner extends; a housing in which the burner and the burner stand are disposed; a plurality of gas pipes for supplying gas for synthesizing glass particles from the housing to the burner; The burner stand has a first pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The housing has a second pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in the second direction, When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the gas pipes between the first pipe fixing portion and the second pipe fixing portion do not cross each other. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above disclosed configuration, it is possible to provide an apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body, in which the service life of the gas piping is long. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a soot glass deposit manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the soot glass deposit manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a soot glass deposit manufacturing apparatus according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) An apparatus for manufacturing a soot glass deposit body according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, A rod-shaped burner for synthesizing glass particles; A burner stand that supports the burner and is movable in a first direction in which the burner extends; a housing in which the burner and the burner stand are disposed; a plurality of gas pipes for supplying gas for synthesizing glass particles from the housing to the burner; The burner stand has a first pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The housing has a second pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in the second direction, When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the gas pipes between the first pipe fixing portion and the second pipe fixing portion do not cross each other. According to the above manufacturing device, the gas pipe is fixed by the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part, so that the burner is prevented from being pulled by the gas pipe and the direction in which the burner faces is prevented from being displaced. Also, the gas pipes between the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part do not cross, so that the gas pipes are prevented from coming into contact with each other and being rubbed or damaged. This reduces the load on the burner and the gas pipe, so that the period until the gas pipe needs to be replaced is extended.

[0011] (2) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to (1), The burners are arranged in plurality, The gas pipes connected to each of the burners are preferably arranged so as not to come into contact with the gas pipes connected to other burners. According to the above configuration, even if the manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a plurality of burners, the gas pipes connected to the burners do not come into contact with each other, so that damage to the gas pipes due to contact can be suppressed.

[0012] (3) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to (1) or (2), The gas pipes may be made of perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA). Because PFA is light, it is possible to prevent the burner from being pulled by the weight of the gas piping, and the equipment cost can be reduced.In addition, because PFA has excellent heat resistance and flexibility, it is desirable to apply it to gas piping where flames are formed around the gas piping or where it is necessary to deform due to the movement of the burner table.

[0013] (4) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to any one of (1) to (3), A tape heater may be provided around the gas pipe that supplies raw material gas to the burner out of the gas pipes. By providing a tape heater around the gas pipe that supplies the raw material gas, the raw material gas can be supplied to the burner at a more suitable temperature. In this case, if the tape heater rubs against the gas pipe, the tape heater may break. However, in the manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure, the gas pipes do not cross each other, so the tape heater is less likely to rub against the gas pipe, and the occurrence of breakage of the tape heater is suppressed.

[0014] (5) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to any one of (1) to (4), The gas piping between the first piping fixing part and the second piping fixing part may extend from the first piping fixing part and the second piping fixing part in the first direction and be curved. When the gas pipes of the above configuration are viewed vertically, they are arranged in a U-shape. In this case, even if the burner stand moves in the first direction, the gas pipes are unlikely to be subjected to load because they easily follow the movement of the burner stand. Even while the burner stand is moving, the gas pipes remain arranged in a U-shape, making it easy to maintain a state in which the gas pipes are unlikely to come into contact with each other. In addition, since the gas pipes are unlikely to come into contact with the gas burner stand, they are unlikely to be damaged.

[0015] (6) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to (5), The first pipe fixing portion may support the gas pipe on an inner periphery of a curved shape at a position closer to the burner than the gas pipe on an outer periphery of a curved shape. In the case of a curved gas pipe, the length of the gas pipe may differ between the inner circumference side and the outer circumference side. In this case, the first pipe fixing part supports the gas pipe on the inner circumference side of the curved shape at a position closer to the burner than the gas pipe on the outer circumference side of the curved shape, thereby reducing the difference in length between the gas pipe on the inner circumference side and the gas pipe on the outer circumference side between the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part, and thus suppressing the difference in the amount of deformation and the shape of the deformation of the gas pipe on the inner circumference side and the outer circumference side due to the movement of the burner stand.

[0016] (7) In the apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit body according to (5) or (6), The second pipe fixing portion may support the gas pipe on the inner periphery of the curved shape at a position closer to the tip of the burner in the first direction than the gas pipe on the outer periphery of the curved shape. In the case of a curved gas pipe, the length of the gas pipe may differ between the inner circumference side and the outer circumference side. In this case, the second pipe fixing part supports the gas pipe on the inner circumference side of the curved shape at a position closer to the burner than the gas pipe on the outer circumference side of the curved shape, thereby reducing the difference in length between the gas pipe on the inner circumference side and the gas pipe on the outer circumference side between the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part, and thus suppressing the difference in the amount of deformation and the shape of the deformation of the gas pipe on the inner circumference side and the outer circumference side due to the movement of the burner table.

[0017] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the method for producing an optical fiber according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals or names even in different drawings, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of each component shown in each drawing are for convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0018] In addition, for convenience of explanation, in the explanation of this embodiment, the "up-down direction," "left-right direction," and "front-rear direction" will be mentioned as appropriate. Here, the "up-down direction" is a direction that includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "left-right direction" is a direction that includes the "leftward direction" and the "rightward direction." The "front-rear direction" is a direction that includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." The symbol U shown in the figures explained hereinafter indicates the upward direction. The symbol D indicates the downward direction. The symbol L indicates the leftward direction. The symbol R indicates the rightward direction. The symbol F indicates the forward direction. The symbol B indicates the rearward direction.

[0019] First, a manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a soot glass deposit G according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a soot glass deposit G. The manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a soot glass deposit G by depositing soot glass on a support rod T arranged inside the manufacturing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a housing 10, a reaction vessel 20, and a burner stand 30.

[0020] The housing 10 forms the outer shell of the manufacturing apparatus 1. The reaction vessel 20 and the burner stand 30 are disposed inside the housing 10.

[0021] The reaction vessel 20 is configured so that a support rod T can be placed therein. The deposition of glass particles on the support rod T is carried out inside the reaction vessel 20. The reaction vessel 20 is provided with an exhaust port 21, through which gas inside the reaction vessel 20 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 when the glass particle deposit body G is manufactured.

[0022] The burner stand 30 is configured to hold a plurality of burners 31 arranged vertically. A moving mechanism 30a is provided below the burner stand 30, which can move the burner stand 30 in the left-right direction (an example of a first direction). For example, the glass soot deposit G grows in the radial direction as the production proceeds, and the burner stand 30 moves in a direction away from the reaction vessel 20 (to the right in this embodiment). When the production of the glass soot deposit G is completed and the glass soot deposit G is removed, the burner stand 30 returns to its original position, and therefore moves in a direction approaching the reaction vessel 20 (to the left in this embodiment).

[0023] In this embodiment, eight burners 31 are provided on the burner stand 30. The burners 31 are hollow rod-shaped members. The burners 31 are installed on the burner stand 30 so that the tips of the burners 31 are disposed inside the reaction vessel 20.

[0024] The burner 31 generates glass particles by appropriately ejecting the raw material gas and the inert gas while generating a flame. The burner 31 is supplied with the raw material gas, the inert gas, the combustion gas, the combustion supporting gas, and the like.

[0025] The raw material gas is a gas containing silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4) as a dopant, etc. The raw material gas may be a mixed gas of various raw material gases such as SiCl4, GeCl4, etc. and other gases, or may be various raw material gases alone. The raw material gas of the mixed gas may contain an inert gas, a combustion gas, a combustion supporting gas, etc., which will be described later.

[0026] The inert gas is, for example, a gas containing argon (Ar), nitrogen (N2), etc. The combustion gas is, for example, a gas containing hydrogen (H2), and the combustion supporting gas is, for example, a gas containing oxygen (O2), etc.

[0027] Next, gas pipe 32 connected to burner 31 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of manufacturing apparatus 1 for producing a soot glass deposit G. Note that the two-dot chain line in Figure 2 is a perspective view of gas pipe 32 located in front of the cross-sectional view.

[0028] 2 and 3, a gas pipe 32 is connected to each burner 31. The gas pipe 32 is preferably made of perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA).

[0029] In this embodiment, at least three gas pipes 32 are connected to one burner 31. Raw material gas, combustion gas, combustion supporting gas, etc. for generating glass particles are supplied to the burner 31 through the gas pipes 32. A tape heater may be wrapped around the gas pipe 32 (raw material gas pipe 32a) for supplying the raw material gas in order to adjust the temperature of the raw material gas.

[0030] 2, the gas pipes 32 are connected to the burner 31 while being arranged in the front-rear direction (an example of the second direction). The gas pipes 32 are held by a first pipe fixing part 33 and a second pipe fixing part 11 while being further arranged in the front-rear direction. The first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 are members that support the gas pipes 32 so as not to move by sandwiching the gas pipes 32 from two directions (upper and lower directions in this embodiment). The first pipe fixing part 33 is provided on the burner stand 30. The second pipe fixing part 11 is provided on the housing 10.

[0031] At this time, the gas pipes 32 between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 are held so as not to cross. Note that the gas pipes 32 not crossing each other means that the center lines of adjacent gas pipes 32 do not overlap each other when viewed from a direction (up-down direction in this embodiment) perpendicular to the first direction (left-right direction in this embodiment) and the second direction (front-rear direction in this embodiment).

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the gas pipes 32 connected to each of the plurality of burners 31 may be provided so as not to come into contact with the gas pipes 32 connected to the other burners 31.

[0033] 3, the gas pipe 32 between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 desirably extends in a rightward direction from the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11. The gas pipe 32 between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 desirably is curved and arranged in a U-shape when viewed from above.

[0034] The first pipe fixing part 33 may be disposed at an angle with respect to the moving direction of the burner stand 30. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, in the gas pipe 32 disposed in a curved manner, the first pipe fixing part 33 supports the inner gas pipe 32 (inner gas pipe 32c) at a position closer to the burner 31 than the outer gas pipe 32 (outer gas pipe 32b).

[0035] Similarly, the second pipe fixing part 11 may also be disposed at an angle with respect to the moving direction of the burner stand 30. For example, in the gas pipe 32 disposed in a curved manner, the second pipe fixing part 11 supports the inner gas pipe 32c at a position closer to the tip of the burner 31 in the left-right direction than the outer gas pipe 32b.

[0036] If the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part are not provided, the position of the gas pipe between the housing and the burner depends on the positional relationship between the gas pipe through-hole provided in the housing and the burner, and in some cases the burner stand and the gas pipe may come into contact. In this state, if the burner stand tries to move in a direction away from the reaction vessel, the gas pipe gets caught at the contact point with the burner stand, which may cause the direction in which the burner is facing to shift.

[0037] In addition, the gas pipes may be arranged in a crossing manner, such as when the gas pipes are arranged in a downward hanging state. In this case, when the burner table moves in the left-right direction in association with the production of the soot glass deposit body, the gas pipes may come into contact with each other or with the burner table. Furthermore, if this is repeated, the gas pipes may be damaged, and the gas pipes may need to be replaced.

[0038] In the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the gas pipe 32 is fixed by the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11, so that the burner 31 is prevented from being pulled by the gas pipe 32 and causing a deviation in the direction in which the burner 31 faces. In addition, the gas pipes 32 between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 do not cross, so that the gas pipes 32 are prevented from coming into contact with each other and being rubbed or damaged. As a result, the burner 31 and the gas pipe 32 are less likely to be subjected to a load, so that the period until the gas pipe 32 needs to be replaced is extended.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if a plurality of burners 31 are provided, the gas pipes 32 connected to each burner do not come into contact with each other, so that damage to the gas pipes 32 due to contact can be suppressed.

[0040] The gas pipe 32 in this embodiment is made of perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA). Since PFA is a light material, it prevents the burner 31 from being pulled by the weight of the gas pipe 32, and reduces the cost of installation. In addition, since PFA has excellent heat resistance and flexibility, it is suitable for the gas pipe 32 in which a flame is formed around the gas pipe 32 or which needs to be deformed as the burner stand 30 moves.

[0041] In this embodiment, a tape heater is provided around the raw material gas pipe 32a, which allows the raw material gas to be supplied to the burner 31 at a more appropriate temperature.

[0042] Repeated friction and contact between tape heaters increases the frequency with which the tape heaters break. However, in this embodiment, the gas pipes 32 do not cross each other, so the tape heaters are less likely to rub against each other, and the occurrence of breakage in the tape heaters is suppressed.

[0043] In this embodiment, the gas pipe 32 is arranged in a U-shaped curve. In this case, even if the burner stand 30 moves to the right, the gas pipe 32 can easily follow the movement of the burner stand 30. In addition, by arranging the gas pipe 32 in a U-shape, not only the gas pipes 32 but also the gas pipes 32 and the burner stand 30 are less likely to come into contact with each other. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the bending radius of the gas pipe 32 from becoming locally small. This makes the gas pipe 32 even less likely to be damaged.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first pipe fixing part 33 supports the curved inner gas pipe 32c at a position closer to the burner 31 than the curved outer gas pipe 32b. In the gas pipe 32 arranged in a curved manner, the inner gas pipe 32c, which has a different length from the outer gas pipe 32b, is supported by the first pipe fixing part 33 at a position closer to the burner 31 than the outer gas pipe 32b, so that the difference in the length of the gas pipe between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 between the outer gas pipe 32b and the inner gas pipe 32c is reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the amount of deformation and the difference in the shape of the deformed gas pipes on the inner and outer periphery sides due to the movement of the burner stand 30.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second pipe fixing part 11 supports the curved inner gas pipe 32c at a position closer to the tip of the burner 31 in the left-right direction than the curved outer gas pipe 32b. At this time, similar to the first pipe fixing part 33, the difference in the length of the gas pipe between the first pipe fixing part 33 and the second pipe fixing part 11 for the outer gas pipe 32b and the inner gas pipe 32c can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the difference in the amount of deformation and the shape of the deformation of the gas pipes 32 on the inner and outer periphery sides due to the movement of the burner stand 30.

[0046] (Modification) Next, a manufacturing apparatus for a soot glass deposit body according to a modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that a description of the same members as in this embodiment will be omitted.

[0047] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a soot glass deposit body according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 4, the gas pipes 132 of the modified example are different in that they are connected to the burner 31 while being arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, the first pipe fixing part 133 and the second pipe fixing part 111 sandwich and support the gas pipes 132 from the front and rear directions.

[0048] In the modified example, the gas pipes 132 are held so as not to cross each other when viewed from the left and right direction, so that the same effects as those of the manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment can be obtained.

[0049] Next, a comparison between this embodiment and a comparative example will be described.

[0050] (Production apparatus for comparison) In the manufacturing apparatus of the comparative example, the gas pipes are made of metal flexible tubes. Also, the gas pipes are not supported by the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part. The metal flexible tubes are heavier than PFA and are not supported by the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part, so they hang down and the gas pipes cross each other or come into contact with the burner stand. [Table 1]

[0051] (Comparison between Comparative Example and This Embodiment) The results of comparing the manufacturing equipment of this embodiment with the manufacturing equipment of the comparative example are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, in the manufacturing equipment of the comparative example, unlike the manufacturing equipment of this embodiment, contact occurs between the gas pipes and between the gas pipes and the burner stand. Also, in the comparative example, the bending radius is locally 50 mm, and compared to this embodiment (200 mm), the manufacturing equipment of the comparative example has parts where the bending radius is locally smaller.

[0052] In this case, in the comparative example, the gas pipe may get caught on the burner stand, causing the burner to shift in direction, and the deposition position of the glass particles may shift by about 1 mm, but in this embodiment, no shift in the deposition position occurs. In addition, in the manufacturing device of the comparative example, the gas pipe needs to be replaced about once a year due to damage caused by contact with the gas pipe. However, in the manufacturing device of this embodiment, the gas pipe is replaced about once every three years, and the life of the gas pipe is longer. Furthermore, the cost of replacing the gas pipe once can be reduced to about half in this embodiment compared to the comparative example. Regarding the material used for the gas pipe, the PFA used in this embodiment is generally cheaper than the metal flexible tube used in the comparative example, so the cost associated with the replacement can be relatively reduced.

[0053] In this way, it was confirmed that the manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment can make the gas pipes last longer than the comparative example, and that the cost of replacing the gas pipes can be reduced.

[0054] Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components described above are not limited to the above embodiment, and can be changed to the number, position, shape, etc. suitable for implementing the present invention. In addition, the elements included in each of the examples described above can be combined with each other.

[0055] For example, in this embodiment, the gas piping is connected to the burner arranged in the front-to-back direction, and in the modified example, the gas piping is connected to the burner arranged in the up-to-down direction, but the gas piping may also be connected to the burner arranged at an angle to the front-to-back and up-to-down directions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Manufacturing equipment 10. Chassis 11,111 Second piping fixing part 20 Reaction vessel 21 Exhaust port 30 Burner stand 30a Moving mechanism 31 Burner 32,132 Gas piping 32a Raw gas piping 32b External gas piping 32c Internal gas piping 33,133 First piping fixing part G Glass particle deposit T support rod

Claims

1. A rod-shaped burner for synthesizing glass particles; A burner stand that supports the burner and is movable in a first direction in which the burner extends; a housing in which the burner and the burner stand are disposed; a plurality of gas pipes for supplying gas for synthesizing glass particles from the housing to the burner; The burner stand has a first pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The housing has a second pipe fixing portion that fixes the gas pipes so as to be arranged in the second direction, When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the gas pipes between the first piping fixing part and the second piping fixing part do not cross each other. A manufacturing device for glass particulate deposits.

2. The burners are arranged in plurality, The gas pipes connected to each of the burners are arranged so as not to come into contact with the gas pipes connected to other burners.

2. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 1.

3. The gas pipe is made of perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA).

3. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Among the gas pipes, a tape heater is provided around the gas pipe that supplies the raw material gas to the burner.

3. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The gas pipe between the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part extends from the first pipe fixing part and the second pipe fixing part in the first direction and is curved.

3. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The first pipe fixing portion supports the gas pipe on the inner periphery of the curved shape at a position closer to the burner than the gas pipe on the outer periphery of the curved shape.

6. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 5.

7. The second pipe fixing portion supports the gas pipe on the inner periphery side of the curved shape at a position closer to the tip of the burner in the first direction than the gas pipe on the outer periphery side of the curved shape.

6. An apparatus for producing a soot glass deposit according to claim 5.

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