JP2000128585A - Resin coater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely conduct aligning work with a simple structure by suspending a die in resin solution put in a casing, allowing the die to move in conformity with the position and velocity of an optical fiber traveling in the casing and nipple and absorbing fluctuation. SOLUTION: This resin coater is provided with a die 2 and a nipple 3 in a casing 1 and used to coat an optical fiber 10. The nipple 3 is fixed concentrically with the casing 1, and the die 2 is suspended in a coating resin soln. in the casing 1. As the position and velocity of the optical fiber 10 traveling in the casing 1 and nipple 3 are varied, the die 2 is moved with the variation, and the fluctuation is absorbed. The die 2 is formed with a material smaller in sp.gr. than the resin, for the die 2 has to be suspended in the resin soln.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a resin coating apparatus for coating an optical fiber strand formed by drawing from an optical fiber preform with a resin, and more particularly to a coating apparatus capable of automatically aligning work. The present invention relates to an automatic centering device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a quartz optical fiber, when an optical fiber base material (preform) is heated and melted, it is stretched to a desired outer diameter at a stretch to form an optical fiber strand. However, in order to coat the optical fiber with a UV resin or the like, a resin coating device using a die or a nipple is used.

[0003] Incidentally, since the surface of the optical fiber is easily damaged, the outer peripheral surface is protected by coating with an appropriate resin at the same time as drawing using a heating furnace.
For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a resin coating apparatus 101 having a configuration in which a die 101 and a nipple 102 are integrally fixed to a die spot (casing) 100 has been developed.

[0004]

By the way, in this resin coating apparatus, for example, the position of the hole of the die 101 through which the optical fiber 103 passes is preferably provided immediately below the heating furnace, but is drawn. The optical fiber preform has a slight shift or eccentricity in shape. Therefore, it is necessary to check the thickness (eccentricity) of the optical fiber preform according to the optical fiber preform to be used, and to perform the centering operation of the die every time. , Messy and time consuming.

[0005] Further, in such a coating apparatus, a configuration in which a centering operation is performed mechanically using an appropriate measuring device or the like has been proposed and developed, but the apparatus becomes large and the manufacturing cost increases. And so on.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a resin coating apparatus capable of performing centering work reliably with a simple configuration at a low cost.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems That is, this claim 1
The invention described in the above is a resin coating device that includes a die and a nipple in a casing, and coats the optical fiber with a resin, wherein the die is arranged in a floating state in a resin liquid contained in the casing, The nipple is fixed to the casing, and when the traveling position and traveling speed of the optical fiber passing and traveling in the casing and inside the nipple change, the die moves in accordance with this and absorbs the deviation. is there.

[0008]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a resin coating apparatus according to the present invention. In the resin coating apparatus, a die 2 is provided in a floating state and a nipple 3 is attached to a casing 1 in a casing 1.
It is fixed to.

The casing 1 is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and is fixed at a predetermined position in a stationary state, and a through hole 1A through which an optical fiber 10 passes and travels at a central portion (upper side and lower side). , 1B are formed. In addition, the casing 1 is provided with a charging hole 11 at an upper portion for charging an appropriate coating resin, and a lower portion of the input resin which is not used for coating is provided at a lower portion. A discharge hole 12 is formed for recovery. Further, the casing 1 has a through hole 1 on the upper side.
A nipple 3 is fixed in a concentric positional relationship following A.

The die 2 is formed in a substantially columnar shape, but has a through hole 2A formed in the center and is hollowed into an inverted truncated cone (the nipple 3 is inserted in a non-contact state). A recess 2B is formed. In addition, the lower part of the die 2 has a die 2 at the upper edge of the through hole 1A.
(Or floated in the resin in a non-contact state at the upper edge of the lower through-hole 1B). The main body of the die 2 is made of a polymer material having a low specific gravity, and a diamond 20 is fitted at the tip of the die 2 to increase hardness.

Further, the die 2 is adapted to supply a pressurized resin. In order to allow the die 2 to float in the coating resin, the specific gravity of the coating resin used here is adjusted. (For example, a material having a specific gravity of about 1.2 to 1.6 is used. Of course, the specific gravity differs between the first layer and the second layer of the optical fiber 10), for example, It is formed of a polymer material such as a resin. In addition,
Alternatively, for example, a metal die 2 ′ as shown in FIG. 2 may be used. That is, even if the metal die 2 ′ has the same volume, the inside thereof is partially hollow 20 ′, so that even if the metal die 2 ′ is formed of a raw material having a specific gravity that is somewhat higher than the coating resin used, it is possible to use Archimedes' metal dies. It is also possible to obtain sufficient buoyancy by the principle.

The nipple 3 has a substantially conical shape (the slope of the outer peripheral surface is larger than the slope of the concave portion of the die 2), and a through hole 3A is formed in the center portion concentrically with the casing 1. In addition, it is fixed to the casing 1 while holding an appropriate gap immediately above the die 2.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the die 2 immersed in the resin solution stored in the casing 1
It floats in the resin solution due to the delicate balance between buoyancy generated by Archimedes' principle and gravity (it is simultaneously pressed by the resin pressure injected from above).

Here, when the traveling optical fiber 10 passes through the through hole of the die, it is drawn (traveled).
If the balance with buoyancy etc. is just right in relation to speed,
The relative positional relationship between the die 2 and the nipple 3 is always kept constant. Even if the dies 2 are not balanced with the buoyancy or the like, the dies 2 can be appropriately moved up and down by the pressure difference until the balance is obtained, and the balance can be maintained well.

If, for example, the axis of the optical fiber 10 is displaced from the central axis of the through holes 1A, 3A, 2A,
Move in the direction (front, back, left and right) to absorb the differential pressure generated between the optical fiber and the floating die 2.
Can be transitioned.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the dies are arranged in a floating state in the resin liquid contained in the casing, the nipple is fixed to the casing, and the nipple is passed through the casing and the nipple. When the running position and running speed of the running optical fiber fluctuates, the dies move and follow in accordance with the movement, and the dies are configured to absorb the deviation, so they are immersed in the coating resin solution to create a subtle floating state. Fluid pressure or the like is used for the placed dies, in other words, it has a simple configuration, and it is possible to align the optical fiber with respect to the dies at low cost. Can be prevented, and the dimensional accuracy of the outer diameter after coating can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a resin coating apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part showing a modification.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Casing 1A 1B Through-hole 2 Dice 3 Nipple 10 Optical fiber strand

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A resin coating apparatus comprising: a casing (1); a die (2) and a nipple (3); and a resin coating apparatus for coating an optical fiber (10) with a resin. A die (2) is placed in a floating state in the resin solution, a nipple (3) is fixed to the casing (1), and an optical fiber () is passed through and runs through the casing (1) and the nipple (3). The resin coating device is characterized in that the die (2) moves in accordance with the change of the running position or running speed of (10) and absorbs the deviation. 2. The resin coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the die (2) is formed of a material having a specific gravity lower than that of the resin.