JP2642337B2 - Optical fiber loading device in tube - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for loading an optical fiber into a tube, and more particularly to a device suitable for loading an optical fiber into a metal tube.

(Prior Art) Optical communication cables that have been widely used in recent years are:
Since the optical fiber is weak in strength, a metal-coated structure has been required. Conventionally, as a method of manufacturing an optical fiber wire in which an optical fiber is loaded inside a tube such as a metal tube, a tape forming-welding method (for example, JP-A-60-46869) or a pipe insertion method (for example, JP-A-58
-25606) is known.

The former method is a method of forming a metal tape into a tube, inserting optical fibers while manufacturing a tube by welding both side edges of the tape, and when the optical fiber passes through a welding point, Deterioration is easy due to the effect of welding heat.
When the diameter is as small as 2 mm or less, there are drawbacks such as technically difficult insertion.

On the other hand, in the latter method, after manufacturing an aluminum pipe containing a steel wire, the pipe is reduced in diameter, and then the steel wire in the pipe is replaced with an optical fiber, which also complicates the manufacturing process. In addition, there is a drawback that a long one is difficult because a replacement force higher than the fiber strength cannot be used due to a risk of disconnection.

The present applicants have conducted various studies to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks.
As a result of repeated experiments, it is possible to obtain a metal-coated optical fiber efficiently without going through complicated processes, and to prevent the deterioration and flaws of the optical fiber and to obtain an optical fiber even for a small-diameter and long tube. Complete a revolutionary loading method that can insert fiber,
An application has already been filed (JP-A-60-181126).

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The invention of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-181126 is based on the principle that the optical fiber is gradually loaded while applying vibration to the wound body of the tube into which the optical fiber is inserted. In actual operation, various problems arise. In particular, special considerations are required for the delivery mechanism of the optical fiber to the tube wrap. For example, during the loading of the optical fiber into the tubular body, the loading speed of the optical fiber is not always constant and may fluctuate due to the resonance phenomenon or the inner surface state of the tube. Therefore, when the speed of the optical fiber in the tube fluctuates,
If the feeding state of the optical fiber does not follow the loading speed of the optical fiber because the feeding state of the optical fiber is affected externally, the optical fiber may be unnecessarily slack or may be disconnected due to excessive tension. This may hinder the smooth supply of the fiber.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems in the vibration loading of the optical fiber, particularly, the problems in the mechanism for feeding the optical fiber to the tube winding body.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention employs the following configuration to achieve this object. That is, a device that applies vibration to a tube winding body, inserts an optical fiber from the end of the tube, and loads the inside of the tube, and applies spiral vibration to the tube winding body. An apparatus for loading an optical fiber into a tube, comprising: an apparatus for detecting a slack of an optical fiber caused by gravity; and an optical fiber supply spool which is driven and rotated to a required slack based on the detected sag.

(Function) Since the optical fiber supply spool is driven and rotated, the rotation speed of the spool is changed or stopped in some cases so that the required slack is obtained, and thereby the optical fiber itself is not burdened. Without giving any resistance and without any excess slack,
We try to send in the best condition.

In the above description and the following description of the present invention, the term “optical fiber” refers to an elementary fiber composed of a core and a cladding layer, a material obtained by coating the elementary fiber with a synthetic resin, a metal, a ceramic, or the like. Alternatively, multi-core or more linear ones are included. The pipe is mainly a metal pipe made of steel or aluminum, but may be a non-metal pipe such as a plastic pipe.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall view of the apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a vibration table. As shown, the wound body R of the steel pipe P
Is mounted on the vibration table 2 so as to receive the vibrations of the vibration motors 3a and 3b by fixing the outer peripheral edge of the lower flange and the shaft hole of the bobbin 1 with the fixing jig 9 of the vibration table 2 respectively. Fixed. A pair of vibration motors 3a and 3b are integrally attached to the vibration table 2 at an angle of about 30 ° from the vertical line, and the pair of vibration motors are used to surround the winding body, that is, the tube, about the central axis of the winding body. Give vibration. The vibration table 2 is attached to the gantry 5 via the spring 4 so that the vibration of the vibration table is not transmitted to the gantry 5.

In this specific example, a rotary vibrator that generates vibration using centrifugal force generated by rotation of an unbalanced weight provided at both ends of a rotating shaft is used as a vibration motor.
It is attached to the vibration table 2 so as to be symmetrical with respect to the axis C of the tube winding body R. This pair of vibration motors 3a, 3b
The angle formed by the vibrating surface with respect to the horizontally set vibration table 2 surface is equal, and the other vibration conditions (frequency, amplitude, etc.) of the vibration motor and the rotation direction of the vibrator are also equal. The vibration table 2 is configured to apply a spiral vibration obtained by combining vibrations of the vibrator to the vibration table 2. It should be noted that crank-type or electromagnet-type vibration may be applied instead of the vibration by the rotary vibrator.

When such vibration is applied to the vibration table 2, the article on the table makes a circular motion (a counterclockwise circular motion in the illustrated example) about the intermediate axis of the vibration motors 3a and 3b. By mounting the winding body R on the vibration table so that the intermediate axis and the winding center axis of the steel pipe winding body R coincide with each other, the axis of the winding body R and the vibration center axis of the vibration table 2 match. Can be done.

The steel pipe P tightly wound around the bobbin 1 has a trumpet-shaped inlet end 7 at the lower part of the bobbin 1 and a pipe end 8 at the upper part, and a horizontal vibration isolating guide 10 near the inlet end. Is installed, and a detection device 11 and a holding guide 12 for detecting the feeding state of the optical fiber are installed at a portion where the optical fiber passes on the entrance side (opposite side of the bobbin) of the anti-vibration guide. ing. At the rear of the holding guide 12, an optical fiber supply spool 13 for feeding the optical fiber and a drive motor 14 for driving the spool are provided. Although not shown, the drive motor 14 has a rotation speed control unit, which communicates with the optical fiber feeding state detecting device 11.

As the optical fiber feeding state detecting device 11, any mechanism may be used as long as it can accurately and surely detect a target situation. For example, as shown in FIG. For detection, upper and lower detectors 11A and 11B such as photoelectric tubes
Are installed at predetermined intervals, and when the optical fiber 6 shuts off these detectors, the circuit is turned on and the drive motor of the spool 13 is turned on.
It controls the rotation speed of 14, that is, the feeding speed of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber 6 is located between the upper and lower detectors, the optical fiber does not become too tight or too slack, in other words, does not interfere with the vibration loading of the optical fiber (as shown in the figure). It is important to be in a slightly slack state.

In addition, the optical fiber feeding state detecting device is not limited to the photoelectric tube shown in the figure, and always grasps the feeding shape of the optical fiber,
An image sensor that outputs a control signal to a motor when an abnormal shape is detected may be used. Further, the present invention is not limited to the example of detecting the position and the shape of the optical fiber 6, but may simply detect the feeding speed of the optical fiber and control the motor speed according to the detection signal.

The supply spool 13 and the drive motor 14 of the optical fiber 6 are not special ones, and any known one may be used as appropriate. In the illustrated case, a spool 13 having a horizontal pulley shaft directly connected to the motor 14 by a belt is used. ing.

Next, the operation of the illustrated equipment will be described. The above-described spiral vibration is applied to the steel pipe winding body R via the vibration table 2.
The pipe end 7 below the wound body due to the conveying force of the vibration.
The optical fiber 6 supplied from the above continuously enters the steel pipe P. That is, the optical fiber 6 is unreeled from the spool 13, and the spool 13 → the holding guide 12 → the detector 11 → the vibration isolating guide 10 → the tube inlet end 7 → the tube P of the wound body → the tube end 8 in this order. It moves by vibration and is loaded into the entire wound body after a predetermined time.

During the above-mentioned vibration loading, if a fluctuation occurs in the tube filling speed due to any factor, this affects the feeding state of the optical fiber at the position of the detector 11, which is immediately detected by the detector. That is, the upper detector 11A is O
If N is detected, the signal is sent to the drive motor 14 to increase the spool rotation speed to increase the supply speed of the optical fiber 6, while the lower detector 11
If B detects too much slack in the optical fiber 6, the motor is similarly controlled to reduce the supply speed of the optical fiber 6.
In this way, the abnormal transfer state of the optical fiber is immediately detected, corrected, and returned to the normal transfer state.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the apparatus of the present invention, when the optical fiber is loaded into the tube, even if there is a change in the loading speed of the optical fiber, this is immediately detected and the feeding speed of the optical fiber is detected. Since the optical fiber can be followed, there is no hindrance to the vibration loading of the optical fiber, and a smooth operation can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vibration table. R: Wound body, P: Steel pipe, C: Vibration center axis, 1 ...
Bobbin, 2 ... vibration table, 3a, 3b ... vibration motor,
6 ... optical fiber, 7 ... tube inlet end, 8 ... tube end, 10
…… Vibration-proof guide, 11… Detector, 12… Retention guide, 13
…… Spool, 14 …… Drive motor.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tadami Adachi 3-5-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Inside Nippon Steel Welding Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshiya Mibu 3-5-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Nippon Steel Welding (72) Inventor Fumio Hayashi 7-6-1 Higashi Narashino, Narashino-shi Narashino Plant, Nippon Steel Welding Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An apparatus for applying vibration to a tube winding body and inserting an optical fiber from a tube end into the tube to apply spiral vibration to the tube winding body. A device for detecting a slack due to gravity of an optical fiber on an upstream side, and an optical fiber supply spool which is provided with an optical fiber supply spool which is driven and rotated to a required slack based on the detected slack. .