Optical Fiber Ribbon Resin Coating Shaving Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing methods for optical fiber ribbons often result in the resin coating being shaved off during the ejection of optical fibers from coating dice, leading to reduced packaging density and regulated bending direction, especially in cables with a small number of core wires.
Innovation Solution
Enhancing the slippage of the ultraviolet curable resin by setting its Young's modulus to 300 MPa or more and ensuring a friction force of 0.3 N or less, which prevents the resin from being rubbed and shaved off during ejection, using a specific manufacturing apparatus with disc-oriented groove portions and ultraviolet spot lamps for curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical fibers are sent out from coating dice outlet portions, then manufacturing process continues, but resin coating may be shaved off due to rubbing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the resin coating by controlling the Young's modulus to be 300 MPa or more and the friction force to be 0.3 N or less. This parameter optimization allows the resin to have sufficient slipperiness to prevent shaving during ejection while maintaining coating integrity throughout the manufacturing process.
2Manufacturing precision
If resin coating is shaved off during ejection, then manufacturing defect occurs, but packaging density decreases and bending direction becomes regulated
Solution Approach 1:
By precisely controlling the Young's modulus (≥300 MPa) and friction force (≤0.3 N) parameters of the resin, the patent achieves optimal balance between coating protection and ribbon flexibility. The resin becomes sufficiently slippery to prevent shaving defects while maintaining the structural integrity needed for high packaging density and flexible bending characteristics.
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
This approach effectively suppresses the shaving of the resin coating, maintaining higher packaging density and flexibility in bending direction, as demonstrated by the specified conditions in Table 1, ensuring the resin is not shaved off during the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of uncured optical fibers, each of which has an outer circumferential surface coated with uncured ultraviolet curable resin, are sent out from a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes which are opened on an outlet surface of a coating dice; ultraviolet spot lamps as ultraviolet irradiation devices for curing the uncured ultraviolet curable resin are arranged corresponding to the optical fiber insertion holes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3(d)
Figure 4
AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to suppress a coating resin from being shaved off in an event where optical fibers are sent out from a coating dice. When a Young's modulus of ultraviolet curable resins 13 located on outermost layers of optical fibers 3 is 300 MPa or more, and the Young's modulus is 300 MPa to 600 MPa, a plurality of the optical fibers 3 in which friction force measured by the following measurement method is 0.3 N or less are arranged in parallel to one another, these respective optical fibers 3 are fixed to one another intermittently along a longitudinal direction thereof, and adhered portions 5 are formed. A ring 30a is formed of an optical fiber specimen 30, an end portion 30b on one end side of the optical fiber specimen 30 is inserted into the ring 30a so as to make a knot, and a contact portion 30d in which portions of the resin are brought into contact with each other is formed. In this state, the respective end portions 30b, 30c on both sides of the ring 30a are grasped and pulled in a direction of being spaced apart from each other, and friction force between the portions of the resin at the contact portion 30d at this pulling time is measured.