Optical Fiber Tape Core Wire Marking Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical fiber tape core wire manufacturing methods fail to maintain marking alignment when separated into individual optical fiber wires, making it difficult to identify which sub-unit tape each wire is associated with, and require additional printing steps, complicating the process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a printer to mark optical fiber wires, a coloring device to form translucent colored layers, a tape forming device to coat with colorless transparent resin, and fiber running length adjustment devices to ensure marking alignment, allowing for easy identification of optical fiber wires even after separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If markings are printed on the surface of the integrating tape resin, then identification of sub-unit tapes is enabled, but markings are removed when sub-unit tapes are separated into individual optical fiber wires
Solution Approach 1:
The marking is printed on the optical fiber wire itself before the sub-unit tapes are integrated and before separation occurs. This preliminary action ensures the marking remains with the optical fiber wire throughout the entire process, preventing loss of identification information when tapes are separated into individual wires.
2Loss of information
If markings are printed on optical fiber wires themselves, then identification is maintained after separation, but two printing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The marking is printed on the optical fiber wire in advance, before integration into sub-unit tapes. This single preliminary printing action eliminates the need for a second printing step after separation, maintaining identification information while improving manufacturing efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If fiber running lengths are not adjusted, then manufacturing process is simpler, but marking positions become misaligned when tapes are separated
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system incorporates adjustable fiber running length mechanisms that can be dynamically configured to compensate for length variations. This allows marking positions to remain aligned across multiple sub-unit tapes while accommodating practical manufacturing tolerances through controlled adjustment capabilities.
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
Enables the production of optical fiber tape core wires where markings on individual wires remain aligned, facilitating easy identification of wire associations and simplifying the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for additional printing steps.
Implementation Method 1
a printing step of causing a plurality of optical fiber wires to run, each optical fiber wire including a resin coating layer of resin coating a silica glass fiber, and using a printer provided in a middle of a path of running, to print a marking for identifying the optical fiber tape core wire on a part of each of the plurality of optical fiber wires
Implementation Method 2
a colored layer formation step of using a coloring device provided in downstream of the printer in a fiber running direction to form translucent colored layers of different colors on the respective optical fiber wires
Implementation Method 3
a colored layer curing step of using a colored layer curing device provided in downstream of the coloring device in the fiber running direction to cure the colored layer
Implementation Method 4
a tape forming layer formation step of using a tape forming device provided in downstream of the colored layer curing device in the fiber running direction to coat the plurality of optical fiber wires with colorless transparent resin collectively into a tape and form a tape forming layer
Implementation Method 5
a tape forming layer curing step of using a tape forming layer curing device provided in downstream of the tape forming device in the fiber running direction to cure the tape forming layer
Implementation Method 6
a fiber running length adjustment step of using fiber running length adjustment devices adjusting the running lengths of the plurality of optical fiber wires running from the respective printers to the tape forming device to adjust the running lengths of all the optical fiber wires between the respective printers and tape forming device to a same length
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an method of manufacturing an optical fiber tape core wire with which, even when the optical fiber tape core wire is separated into optical fiber wires, it can be determined which optical fiber tape core wire each optical fiber wire is associated with. A fiber running length adjustment device 13 adjusting the running lengths of the optical fiber wires 2 running from printers 8 (8A to 8D) to a tape forming device 11 is used to adjust the running lengths of all the optical fiber wires 2 between the printers 8 and the tape forming device 11 to a same length. By this adjustment, markings 6 formed on each optical fiber wire 2 (2A to 2D) can be aligned with the corresponding markings 6 formed on the other fiber wires 2 to the same position.