JP2010120781A - Optical fiber production device fitted with automatic wire setting function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber production device fitted with an automatic wire setting function wherein, upon the disconnection of optical fiber, the optical fiber to be sprung out is blocked, and can be stored till suction catches up the same, and a failure in the automatic operation thereof is prevented. <P>SOLUTION: In the optical fiber production device fitted with the automatic wire setting function comprising: a gripping means 36 gripping optical fiber 12 supplied from a capstan wheel 13 so as to be conveyed to a winding roller 17; and a suction apparatus 57 provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction of optical fiber of the capstan wheel 13 and sucking the succeeding optical fiber 12 upon disconnection, the device is equipped with a vessel 61 where, upon the disconnection of optical fiber, the succeeding optical fiber 12 supplied from the capstan wheel 13 is temporarily stored during a period until linear speed drops and the succeeding optical fiber can be sucked by the suction apparatus 57. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function provided with a suction device for sucking a subsequent optical fiber at the time of disconnection.

  For example, there is an automatic screening apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 that automatically performs optical fiber drawing. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional automatic screening apparatus. In the drawing, the optical fiber 12 drawn and wound around the feeding roll 11 is pulled by a capstan wheel 13 that is rotationally driven and a capstan belt 14 that cooperates with the wheel 13, and is drawn out from the feeding roll 11.

  The optical fiber 12 pulled by the capstan wheel 13 is wound around the winding roll 17 via the screening roll 15, the tension roll 16, and the winding dancer 19. Reference numeral 18 denotes an arm-type feeding dancer provided between the feeding roll 11 and the capstan wheel 13.

The winding dancer 19 includes a swingable arm 20 and dancer rolls 21, 22, and 23 attached to the arm 20 at a predetermined distance from a fulcrum.
Between the capstan wheel 13, the screening roll 15, the tension roll 16, and the dancer rolls 21, 22, and 23, support rolls 24 and 25 that can reciprocate between the pass line and the retracted position of the optical fiber 12, that is, move up and down. , 26, 27, 28 are provided.

  A suction nozzle 31 as a suction device is provided downstream of the capstan wheel 13 in the transport direction of the optical fiber 12, and the disconnected optical fiber 12 is sucked by the suction nozzle 31.

The automatic wire hooking machine 35 for automatically drawing the optical fiber 12 includes a lateral feed wire hooking machine 36 and a winding wire hooking machine 37 that are supported and moved by guide rails 38 and 39.
The lateral feed wire hooking machine 36 and the winding wire hooking machine 37 are provided with gripping and conveying means 41 for holding the optical fiber 12 by an openable hand 42.

  The tension of the optical fiber 12 at the feeding roll 11 is about 100 g, and the gap between the capstan wheel 13 and the screening roll 15 is about 700 g. For this reason, when a low-strength portion is present in the optical fiber 12, most of the disconnection occurs between the capstan wheel 13 and the screening roll 15.

When disconnection occurs, it is detected that the tension of the system has been reduced, and suction by the suction nozzle 31 is started. During the suction by the suction nozzle 31, the feeding roll 11 and the capstan wheel 13 are decelerated and stopped.
In addition to the case where the disconnection of such a low-strength portion occurs, in order to stop the winding at a fixed length, there is a case where it is forced to disconnect and stop.

When the capstan wheel 13 is stopped, the automatic line drawing machine 35 moves the guide rail 38 by the holding conveyance means 41 of the lateral feed line drawing machine 36 by the hand 42 and moves the guide rail 38 to take up the winding roll 17. Transport to the top of Thereafter, the optical fiber 12 is gripped by the gripping and conveying means 41 of the winding wire hooking machine 37 from the gripping and conveying means 41 of the lateral feed wire hooking machine 36, and the gripping and conveying means 41 of the winding wire hooking machine 37 moves the guide rail 39. It descends and is fixed to the winding roll 17.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-170476

However, the above-described conventional automatic screening apparatus detects that the tension of the system has decreased, and starts suction with the suction nozzle 31. However, if the wire breaks during high speed running, The suction could not catch up, and the optical fiber sometimes jumped out of the suction nozzle. The jumped optical fiber jumped in the tangential direction at the capstan outlet and entangled with the pass line (peripheral rollers, etc.), and automatic hooking by the lateral feed line hooking machine 36 and the like was disabled. At present, there is a probability of about 5% of automatic line drawing failing to catch up with suction, which has reduced productivity. Further, if the tangled optical fiber comes into contact with the optical fiber already wound on the winding roll 17, there is a risk that the quality may be reduced. In recent years, in order to improve productivity, it has been demanded to increase the production line speed. However, as the line speed increases, the probability of such a suction failure increasing. Although it is conceivable to raise the suction pressure to solve the above problems, the maximum pressure is currently used under the current equipment, and it is difficult to raise the suction pressure beyond that, requiring large-scale equipment. It is.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function capable of shielding an optical fiber popping out from a capstan wheel and temporarily storing it until catching up when the optical fiber is disconnected. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent failure of automatic operation in an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A capstan wheel that pulls an optical fiber by driving, a gripping and conveying means that grips the optical fiber drawn from the capstan wheel and conveys it to a take-up roll, and an optical fiber conveyance of the capstan wheel A suction device that is provided on the downstream side in the direction and sucks the subsequent optical fiber at the time of disconnection,
An automatic is equipped with a container that temporarily accommodates a subsequent optical fiber drawn from the capstan wheel when the optical fiber is disconnected until the linear velocity decreases and the suction device can suck the optical fiber. Optical fiber manufacturing equipment with a line-hanging function.

  According to this optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function, when the optical fiber is disconnected, the optical speed is high, and the optical fiber that has jumped out without being completely sucked by the suction device is temporarily stored in the container and enters the pass line. Is shielded and stored in the container until suction catches up. Because the linear velocity is high when cutting, all the optical fibers cannot be completely sucked into the suction device, but when the linear velocity decreases and the suction device can suck, the optical fibers stored in the container are on the capstan wheel side. Are sequentially sucked into the suction device. Eventually, up to the tip of the disconnection is sucked, and the optical fiber is stretched between the capstan wheel and the suction device.

(2) The automatic container according to (1), wherein the container to be temporarily stored is provided on a tangential extension line at a contact point between the capstan wheel and the capstan belt at the capstan wheel outlet. Optical fiber manufacturing equipment with a line-hanging function.

  According to this optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic line drawing function, since the container is disposed on the tangential extension line at the contact point between the capstan wheel and the capstan belt at the capstan wheel outlet, when the optical fiber is disconnected, Subsequent optical fibers drawn from the capstan wheel can be temporarily accommodated in the container until the linear velocity drops and the suction nozzle can suck the optical fiber.

(3) The automatic line drawing apparatus according to (2), wherein the container to be temporarily stored is provided integrally with the gripping and conveying means.

  According to this automatic line drawing device, after the automatic line drawing is completed, the gripping and conveying means is operated, and the container provided in the gripping and conveying means moves in the tangential direction at the contact point between the cap wheel and the capstan belt at the capstan wheel outlet. By being arranged on the extension line, the optical fiber that jumps out from the capstan wheel outlet due to the disconnection is accommodated in the container. During automatic line drawing, the container is moved from the extended line of the capstan wheel outlet to the retracted position. By providing the container in the gripping and conveying means that moves the container in this way, the container does not hinder the movement of the support roll or the like that moves up and down during automatic line drawing, and the apparatus can be downsized compared to the structure in which the container is fixedly arranged. Can do.

  According to the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function according to the present invention, when the optical fiber is disconnected, the subsequent optical fiber drawn from the capstan wheel is temporarily accommodated until it can be sucked by the suction device. Because it is equipped with, the optical fiber jumping out from the capstan wheel due to disconnection can be shielded and stored in the container until suction catches up. As a result, the success rate of automatic line drawing can be increased and productivity can be improved. Moreover, the quality defect by contacting the entangled optical fiber can be reduced.

Preferred embodiments of an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic line drawing function according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modification of the main part. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the member equivalent to the member shown in FIG.
In the drawing, an optical fiber 12 wound around a feeding roll 11 is pulled by a capstan wheel 13 that is rotationally driven and a capstan belt 14 that cooperates with the wheel 13 through a feeding dancer 18, and is pulled from the feeding roll 11. Pulled out. In the figure, reference numerals 24 and 25 denote elevating rollers which can reciprocate between the pass line of the optical fiber 12 and the retracted position, that is, elevate.

In the automatic line drawing machine 35, tension is applied to the optical fiber 12 drawn from the feeding roll 11 by the axial torque between the capstan wheel 13 and the screening roll 15, and the optical fiber 12 is taken up by the take-up roll 17. The line speed is determined by driving the capstan wheel 13. Variations in speed and tension between the feeding roll 11 and the capstan wheel 13 are absorbed by the feeding dancer 18. By applying tension to the optical fiber 12 between the capstan wheel 13 and the screening roll 15, the optical fiber 12 is disconnected at the low strength portion. As a result, the low-strength optical fiber 12 is not taken up by the take-up roll 17.
As described above, in order to stop the winding at a fixed length, the wire may be forcibly disconnected.

  The succeeding portion of the disconnected optical fiber 2 is transported from the capstan wheel 13 to the take-up roll 17 by the automatic line drawing machine 35. The automatic wire hooking machine 35 includes a lateral feed wire hooking machine 36 serving as a gripping means for conveying the optical fiber 12 drawn from the capstan wheel 13 from the capstan wheel 13 to the upper part of the winding roll 17, and a horizontal feed wire hooking machine. A take-up wire catcher 37 that receives the optical fiber 12 from 36 and conveys the optical fiber 12 from the upper part of the take-up roll 17 to the take-up roll 17 and passes it to the take-up roll 17. The transverse feed wire hooking machine 36 and the winding wire hooking machine 37 are supported by guide rails 38 and 39, respectively.

  The lateral feed wire hooking machine 36 and the winding wire hooking machine 37 are provided with a gripping and conveying means 41 having an openable and closable hand 42 that holds the optical fiber 12 therebetween.

  On the downstream side of the capstan wheel 13 in the transport direction of the optical fiber 12, a suction device 57 provided with a suction nozzle 57a and a container 61 to be described later are provided in a main body member (not shown). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction device 57 and the container 61 are disposed on a tangential extension line 63 at a contact point between the capstan wheel 13 and the capstan belt 14. The suction device 57 sucks the succeeding optical fiber 12 that has been disconnected by the suction nozzle 57a. The suction device 57 utilizes the fact that pressurized air is blown to the discharge side to depressurize the suction side and can suck the disconnected optical fiber 12.

  The container 61 is disposed downstream of the suction nozzle 57a in the transport direction of the optical fiber 12. Thereby, the container 61 temporarily accommodates the subsequent optical fiber 12 drawn from the capstan wheel 13 when the optical fiber is disconnected until the linear velocity drops and the suction nozzle 57a can suck the subsequent optical fiber.

Next, the effect | action at the time of line drawing in the automatic line drawing machine mentioned above is demonstrated.
When the disconnection of the optical fiber 12 occurs, it is detected that the tension of the system has decreased, and the suction device 57 is activated. When the optical fiber is disconnected, the optical fiber 12 that has a high linear velocity and cannot be completely sucked by the suction nozzle 57a and is popped out is accommodated in the container 61 as shown in FIG. It is temporarily stored in the container 61 until the suction catches up.

  When the linear velocity decreases and suction by the suction device 57 becomes possible, the optical fibers 12 stored in the container 61 are sequentially sucked into the suction nozzle 57a from the capstan wheel 13 side. When the broken tip is finally sucked, the optical fiber 12 is stretched by the capstan wheel 13 and the suction nozzle 57a.

  As described above, when the optical fiber is disconnected, the optical fiber 12 is accommodated in the container 61, and it is excluded that the optical fiber 12 gets entangled with the pass line (peripheral roller or the like). .

  Therefore, according to the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function having the above-described configuration, when the optical fiber is broken, the subsequent optical fiber 12 drawn from the capstan wheel 13 is sucked by the suction device 57. Since the container 61 to be temporarily stored is equipped, the optical fiber 12 jumping out from the capstan wheel 13 due to the disconnection can be shielded and stored in the container 61 until the suction catches up. As a result, the failure probability of automatic line drawing can be made almost zero, the success rate can be increased, and productivity can be improved. Moreover, the quality defect by the entangled optical fiber 12 contacting a surrounding roller etc. can be reduced.

  In addition, the container 61 may be provided integrally with the gripping and conveying means 41 of the lateral feed wire hooking machine 36 other than being fixedly disposed on the main body member. In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the container 61 is attached to the distal end of an arm 53 that is supported by a gripping and conveying means 41 having a hand 42 so as to be rotatable about a base end. The container 61 can be arranged on the opposite side of the hand 42 with the suction nozzle 57a sandwiched by the rotation of the arm 53 (that is, downstream of the suction nozzle 57a in the transport direction of the optical fiber 12).

  At the time of automatic drawing, the arm 53 is at the rising end position, and when automatic drawing is completed and the winding of the optical fiber 12 is started, it is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3, and the container 61 is moved in the transport direction of the optical fiber 12 by the suction nozzle 57a. Arrange downstream. Thereby, the container 61 temporarily accommodates the subsequent optical fiber 12 drawn from the capstan wheel 13 when the optical fiber is disconnected until the linear velocity drops and the suction nozzle 57a can suck the subsequent optical fiber. Further, during automatic line drawing, the container 61 is moved from the extended line of the capstan wheel outlet to the retracted position. By providing the container in the gripping and conveying means that moves the container in this way, the container 61 does not hinder the movement of the support rolls 24 and 25 that move up and down during automatic line drawing, and moreover, the apparatus can be compared with a structure that is fixedly arranged. It can be downsized.

It is a schematic block diagram of the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram showing the modification of the principal part. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional screening apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

12 Optical fiber 13 Capstan wheel 17 Winding roll 36 Cross feed device (gripping means)
41 Grasping and conveying means 57 Suction device 57a Suction nozzle 61 Container

Claims (3)

A capstan wheel for picking up the optical fiber by driving; gripping and conveying means for gripping the optical fiber drawn from the capstan wheel and conveying it to the take-up roll; and downstream side of the capstan wheel in the optical fiber conveying direction A suction device that sucks a subsequent optical fiber at the time of disconnection, and an optical fiber manufacturing device with an automatic line-drawing function,
An automatic is equipped with a container that temporarily accommodates a subsequent optical fiber drawn from the capstan wheel when the optical fiber is disconnected until the linear velocity decreases and the suction device can suck the optical fiber. Optical fiber manufacturing equipment with a line-hanging function.   2. The automatic line-hanging according to claim 1, wherein the container to be temporarily stored is provided on a tangential extension line at a contact point between the capstan wheel and the capstan belt at the capstan wheel outlet. Functional optical fiber manufacturing equipment.   3. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus with an automatic drawing function according to claim 2, wherein the container for temporary storage is provided integrally with the gripping and conveying means.

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