Self-Supporting Optical Fiber Spool Cross-Winding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass fiber coils for underwater applications face issues with stable unwinding, as they can kink or form loops, and existing binders may release environmentally harmful substances during deployment.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting glass fiber spool with a cross-winding structure and a solvent-free, seawater-resistant hydrocarbon-based impregnating agent ensures easy and loop-free unwinding, maintaining cohesion and stability without harming the environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a polymer resin binder dissolved in methanol is applied to glass fiber layers during winding, then adhesive force is achieved to ensure stable coil structure, but environmentally harmful substances are released during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the binder from polymer resin dissolved in methanol to a solvent-free composition comprising 70-95 wt% rubber and 5-30 wt% plasticizer. This parameter change eliminates the release of environmentally harmful substances while maintaining adhesive properties through the specific rubber-plasticizer combination that provides both bonding strength and flexibility for stable coil structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simpler, more environmentally friendly binder composition that can be applied directly without requiring complex solvent-based application systems. The solvent-free rubber-based binder eliminates the need for methanol application infrastructure and reduces environmental contamination, effectively replacing the harmful chemical system with a benign alternative that achieves the same structural stabilization function.
2Stability of the object's composition
If glass fiber is mechanically wound onto a winding mandrel in several layers with binder application, then a self-supporting coil is formed, but loops are pulled out of the winding and glass fiber is kinked during unwinding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the binder to the glass fiber layers during the winding process itself, before the coil is removed from the mandrel. This preliminary application ensures that each layer is immediately bonded to the previous layer, creating a stable self-supporting structure that prevents loops from being pulled out during subsequent unwinding operations. The binder is applied to every fourth layer during winding, establishing adhesive bonds in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining glass fiber layers with a rubber-based binder material. The composite consists of the glass fiber reinforcement (providing structural integrity) and the rubber-plasticizer matrix (providing flexibility and adhesive bonding). This composite construction allows the coil to be self-supporting while maintaining the ability to unwind without kinking, as the rubber component provides the necessary elasticity and bond strength.
3Ease of operation
If the glass fiber coil is designed to be self-supporting without coil carrier, then easy unwinding is achieved, but the winding requires precise adhesive bonding to prevent loops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a self-supporting coil that does not require a coil carrier for structural support. The rubber-based binder provides sufficient adhesive strength to hold the glass fiber layers together autonomously, allowing the coil to maintain its shape and enable easy unwinding without external support structures. The binder composition is specifically formulated to provide self-sufficient bonding at the adhesive application rate used.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the adhesive properties by using a solvent-free rubber-plasticizer composition that achieves optimal bonding strength at lower application rates compared to traditional polymer resin systems. The specific parameter range of 70-95 wt% rubber and 5-30 wt% plasticizer provides the right balance of adhesion and flexibility, ensuring precise bonding during winding while enabling easy unwinding without loops or kinks.
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 solution enables reliable, twist-free unwinding of glass fibers with reduced tensile force, preventing kinking and loop formation, while ensuring environmental safety and maintaining adhesive strength within the operating temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
the roll is impregnated with the impregnating substance after it has been liquefied by heating, e.g. in a vacuum impregnation process
Implementation Method 2
The impregnation material used improves the cohesion of the winding and ensures that the glass fiber is detached smoothly from the adjacent winding during unwinding
Implementation Method 3
the roll is impregnated with the impregnating substance after it has been liquefied by heating
Implementation Method 4
The twisting of the glass fiber in itself when winding the cross winding ensures that the glass fiber is free of twists when it is pulled off
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a fiberglass spool comprising a self-supporting roll (12) having layers of windings (20) located one above the other of an optical fiber (13) for transmitting data that may be unwound from the interior of the roll outwards, wherein the windings (20) are fixed to one another by means of an adhesive bonding agent. In order to realize a sufficiently stable, self-supporting roll (12) that may be reliably unwound from the inside outwards without loops being pulled out of the roll (12), the roll (12) is structured as a cross-winding and a hydrocarbon-based, salt water-resistant, chemically inert impregnating material that may be liquefied by heating is used as the bonding agent.