Optical-Fiber Bobbin Grooves for Low-Pressure Wetting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coil systems for fiber optic cables in missiles fail to completely saturate the winding package with moisture during low water pressures, leading to issues with unwinding the optical fiber due to trapped air preventing moisture penetration.
Innovation Solution
The coil former is designed with outlet and inlet means in the form of geometrically structured grooves on its surface to facilitate the removal of air and introduction of water, ensuring complete saturation of the winding package before unwinding, using inlet and outlet grooves to displace air and introduce water effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the winding package is sealed to protect the optical fiber during transport, then the fiber is protected from damage, but air becomes trapped inside preventing complete moisture saturation during flooding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces outlet means (channels, grooves, or pores) into the winding package structure before the flooding process begins. These outlet means are pre-configured to allow air to escape during the subsequent moisture saturation process, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining a sealed protective structure and enabling complete moisture penetration.
2Quantity of substance
If flooding pressure is increased to ensure complete moistening of the winding package, then moisture saturation improves, but water overpressure and structural stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by designing outlet means that facilitate air displacement through controlled fluid flow paths. The channels, grooves, or pores create hydraulic pathways that allow air to be pushed out by incoming water at low pressure gradients, enabling complete saturation without requiring high water overpressure that would stress the structural components.
3Quantity of substance
If flooding time is extended to ensure complete saturation at low water pressure, then moisture penetration improves, but mission time and operational duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet means are pre-configured into the winding package structure before operation, creating immediate air escape pathways when flooding begins. This preliminary structural preparation allows the flooding process to proceed efficiently with complete saturation achieved rapidly at low water pressure, thereby minimizing the flooding time required during the missile's underwater transit.
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 design ensures reliable unwinding of the optical fiber under various launch conditions by quickly and completely moistening the coil package, reducing flooding time and minimizing water overpressure, thus maintaining a stable and effective data connection during the missile's mission.
Implementation Method 1
The outlet means serves or is designed to remove any air and, where applicable, water that may be present - but is usually present - from the winding section
Implementation Method 2
The inlet means serves or is designed to admit water from the environment or an outer space of the coil former to the winding section
Implementation Method 3
The coil former extends along a central longitudinal axis and has a surface facing radially outward relative to this axis. The outer surface has an outlet means... formed by geometrically structuring the outer surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A coil former (6) for carrying a winding assembly (8) of an optical waveguide (12) is intended for an underwater launchable missile (2), wherein the missile (2) with the coil former (6) and the winding assembly (8) is configured to move first through water and then through air during a mission and to unwind the optical waveguide (12) behind it from the start of the mission, wherein the coil former (6) extends along a central longitudinal axis (10) and has a radially outwardly projecting outer surface (14) and surrounds an interior space (22), a longitudinal section of the outer surface (14) forms a winding section (26) for applying the winding assembly (8), and the outer surface (14) has an outlet means (28) for removing any air (20) and, if applicable, water (32) from the winding section (26). A coil (4) contains the coil former (6) and the winding assembly (8).