Optical Fiber Coating Apparatus Preventing Bubble Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed drawing of optical fibers leads to the introduction of external air into the coating layer, causing bubble formation and deteriorated coating quality due to increased boundary layer thickness, and conventional coating devices exacerbate this with direct gas spraying, affecting fiber diameter and coating stability.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber coating apparatus with a cover isolating the coating unit from external air, using a gas supply line to create a positive pressure inner space with gas of lower kinetic viscosity than air, and a coating agent discharge line to manage the coating agent, preventing direct gas spraying on the fiber and reducing external air introduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drawing speed of the optical fiber is increased to reduce manufacture costs, then productivity is improved, but external air is introduced into the coating unit along the surface of the optical fiber causing bubble formation and deteriorated coating quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the inert atmosphere principle by introducing a gas with lower kinetic viscosity than air (such as nitrogen or helium) into the coating unit. This creates a controlled gas environment that prevents external air from being drawn along the optical fiber surface, thereby eliminating bubble formation in the coating layer while enabling high-speed drawing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a gas with lower kinetic viscosity as an intermediary substance between the external air and the optical fiber surface. This intermediary gas forms a protective layer that mediates the interaction, preventing direct contact between external air and the fiber surface, thus avoiding bubble generation while maintaining stable coating conditions at high drawing speeds
2Stability of the object's composition
If gas is sprayed directly on the surface of the optical fiber to decrease boundary layer thickness, then coating stability is improved, but the optical fiber is finely vibrated causing change of diameter and deteriorated coating quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by not spraying gas directly onto the optical fiber surface. Instead, it introduces the gas into the coating unit environment, allowing the gas to naturally interact with the boundary layer without direct impingement on the fiber, thus maintaining coating stability without causing vibrations or diameter changes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively minimizes bubble formation and stabilizes coating conditions at high speeds by reducing the external air boundary layer thickness, improving the quality of the optical fiber coating by maintaining a stable meniscus and preventing disconnection.
Implementation Method 1
gas, having smaller kinetic viscosity than the air, into an inner space formed by the cover
Implementation Method 2
thickness of a boundary layer of the external air introduced into the coating agent along the surface of the optical fiber is increased on the surface of the optical fiber
Implementation Method 3
the inner space forms positive pressure circumstance by using the gas having smaller kinetic viscosity than the air
Implementation Method 4
forming a coating layer on the optical fiber by coating a coating agent on the surface of the optical fiber being drawn
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an optical fiber coating apparatus for preventing generation of bubble in a coating layer of an optical fiber when the optical fiber is coated, which includes a coating unit for allowing an optical fiber to pass through and forming a coating layer on the optical fiber; a base coupled with a lower portion of the coating unit to draw the optical fiber; a cover installed to an upper portion of the coating unit to isolate the coating unit from an external air and having an optical fiber introduction hole; a gas supply line for supplying gas, having smaller kinetic viscosity than the air, into an inner space formed by the cover; and a coating agent discharge line for discharging a coating agent remained in the inner space of the cover. The inner space forms positive pressure circumstance by using the gas having smaller kinetic viscosity than the air.