JP2847088B2 - Method of manufacturing SZ-wound slot spacer type optical cable - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an SZ-wrapped slot spacer type optical cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, conventional spacers are unidirectionally wound S (rarely Z) around the outer periphery of a synthetic resin string in which a tension member such as a steel stranded wire is insert-molded at the center. A plurality of helical wire-shaped slots are formed, and an optical fiber cord such as a tape core wire is dropped into this slot, and a holding tape is wound around the outside to manufacture an optical fiber cable. Is done.

[0003] As a method of manufacturing this optical fiber cable, a method that is quite widespread at present and may be called a "standard" has been established in the Japanese industry. This method is also referred to as a rotating feeding method of the spacer, in which the spacer is rotated around its axis at a rotational speed N in a direction opposite to the helix direction of the slot, and pN = V in relation to the helix pitch p of the slot. By picking up at a speed V having the following relationship, the position of each slot is kept at one fixed position without rotating in the circumferential direction of the spacer in the middle of the picking-up traveling route, and the surrounding area is set at the collecting die provided at that position. This is a method of dropping an optical fiber cord, such as a tape cord supplied from a company, into the slot. Since a large number of publications disclosing this method or a device to be used have been issued, they will not be exemplified here.

In these methods, in order to cope with a change in the dropping position due to the twisting of the spacer or the like, an operation of detecting the angular change of the slot due to the twist and adjusting the movement of the collective die in the longitudinal direction and the amount of the shift are added. Two operations are performed to adjust the take-off speed in order to avoid being excessive. Thus, the differences in how these two adjustment operations are related are currently creating subtle differences between the various techniques described above.

What is common in many of the above-mentioned technologies is that the change in the angle of the slot is detected by the rotation of a detection plate provided with a pin projecting into the slot, and this is detected by, for example, a potentiometer. In this technique, the collective dies are moved and adjusted in the longitudinal direction by a feed screw or the like according to this signal. However, as a technique to prevent the moving amount of the collective die from becoming too large, one method is to determine a critical amount of movement of the collective die and adjust the take-off speed if it exceeds this,
In another method, the take-up speed is adjusted by the time integral component of the voltage fluctuation of the potentiometer, which causes the set dice adjustment, and the position of the set dice is also adjusted by the present applicant. It is a difficult technique that has various traces, such as a method of servo-controlling the take-up speed to return to the position.

[0006]

The technique for moving the collective dies to cope with the torsion of the spacer described above and the related technique for increasing and decreasing the take-off speed is not so simple, and therefore, the production of each type is not easy. There is a disadvantage that the structure of the company's optical fiber cable manufacturing machine is considerably complicated, and furthermore, depending on the type of machine, these two adjustment operations interfere with each other and the machine stops or is seriously damaged. It is the present situation.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention uses a novel spacer having an SZ winding slot which is completely different from the spacer used so far. Providing a section for applying a suitable tension to the spacer over an appropriate length in a path for feeding and winding a spacer having at least one SZ winding slot formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof; The same number of the optical fiber cords as the slots are fed around the spacer in the same direction as the traveling direction, and the number of slots equiangularly formed in the SZ plate provided rotatably around the spacer. Dropping the optical fiber cord into the slot through the same number of branch holes in a collective die arranged downstream of the SZ plate. Detecting a positive / negative angular change in the circumferential direction associated with the travel of the spacer at an appropriate position in the tension applying section, wherein the dropping step includes the angle change detection position and According to the angle change detected earlier by the distance between the optical fiber cord dropping position and the SZ perforated board according to the angle change, the respective branch holes and the respective slots are respectively rotated by forward and reverse rotation while controlling the copying. A method for manufacturing an SZ-wound slot spacer type optical cable, which is performed so as to correspond linearly.

The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an SZ-wound slot spacer type optical cable as described above.
A method of manufacturing an SZ-wound slot spacer type optical cable, characterized in that the angle change detection position is made coincident with the position of a collective die to make the distance (d) zero.

[0009]

Since the detection of the change in the angle of the slot of the spacer is performed ahead of the drop position by the distance d, the detected value here indicates the change in the angle of the drop position at the collective dice sequentially shifted by the distance d. As a result, the SZ perforated board is alternately rotated and controlled so that the branch hole and the slot of the spacer are literally aligned and correspond to each other, and as a result, the optical fiber cord is accurately dropped. This eliminates the need for any conventional adjustment movement in the longitudinal direction of the collective dies and any possible adjustment of the take-off speed, and makes the structure of the manufacturing machine used extremely simple.

[0010]

1 and 2, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the spacer used in the method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the slots 2 are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the spacer 1 in the form of an S-shaped winding line or a Z-shaped winding line. It has a so-called SZ winding slot. The continuous length of the one-way winding wire of each of the S winding and the Z winding is a slight pitch of 1 pitch or 2 pitches. Although only one slot 2 is illustrated in FIG. 2, it should be understood that a plurality of slots 2 are formed at equal circumferential intervals.

FIG . 1 shows an example of an apparatus used to carry out the method of the present invention. This apparatus will be described below. The spacer 1 sent out from the sending device 3 first enters a tension applying device 4 which is a kind of caterpillar type take-up device, where an appropriate back tension is applied by the torque motor 14, that is, a braking force opposite to the traveling direction is applied. Can be Since the take-up force of the take-up device 12 located at the most downstream of the device is far greater than the braking force applied by the tension applying device 4, the spacer 1 moves in a predetermined traveling direction, that is, in the right direction in the figure. Can be.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a slot angle detecting device,
A detection pin 5 which has a hollow columnar shape formed by combining two hollow columnar cylinder halves 51 and 52 and protrudes radially inward from the inner wall portion.
3 and is rotatably supported by an appropriate frame 54. The detection pin 53 protrudes into and engages with the slot 2 of the spacer 1 running inside the hollow cylindrical halves 51, 52. As the spacer 1 advances, the angular phase of the slot 2 with which the detection pin 53 engages changes. The rotation angles of the hollow cylindrical halves 51 and 52 that rotate forward and backward around the axis as they change are measured and detected by the encoder 15 and are detected by the amplifying device 16.
To tell. The reason why the hollow cylinder half is used is to make it easier to set the spacer 1 when hanging the wire.

An optical fiber cord guide device 6 is provided downstream of the slot angle detecting device 5 and has one end fixed to the frame 54 and the other end rotatable in the center hole of the SZ plate 7 described later. And a winding guide cylinder 61 coaxially arranged outside the hollow cylinder-shaped spacer protection cylinder 63 supported by the cylinder. The winding guide cylinder 61 is attached to the other end of a coil spring 62 having one end fixed to the frame 54.
Due to the variability of 2, it is possible to float in the longitudinal direction, and forward and reverse rotation around its axis is also possible within a small angle range. The winding guide cylinder 61 is made of, for example, ceramics.
It is important to finish the outer surface smoothly.

A disc-shaped SZ plate 7 is rotatably provided downstream of the optical fiber cord guide device 6. In this, the same number of dividing holes 71 as the slots 2 are formed in a circumferentially equal manner,
An optical fiber cord 10 such as a tape core, for example, is guided by the same number as the number of slots supplied while traveling outside the winding guide tube 61 in the same direction as the traveling direction of the spacer 1. The SZ plate 7 is driven forward and reverse by a pulse motor 17 that rotates forward and backward upon receiving a signal from the amplifier 16. In other words, the spacer 1 is rotated forward and backward in accordance with the change in the angle of the slot 2 of the spacer 1.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a generally ring-shaped collective die, which is used to stabilize the optical fiber cord 10 dropped in the slot 2 of the spacer 1 in the slot. A presser track device 9 is provided immediately after the collecting die 8. In cooperation with the above-described tensioning device 4 provided on the upstream side, the spacer portion traveling between these two devices 4 and 9 is tensioned by applying an appropriate tension, thereby providing a precise slot. It is intended to suitably detect the angle and drop the optical fiber cord.

The presser taping device 11 and the take-up device 12 following the caterpillar 9 is provided. The take-up device 12 is driven to rotate by a drive motor 18, and applies a traction force to the spacer 1 that is large enough to overcome the resistance to the progress given to the spacer 1 by the tension applying device 4 and the holding caterpillar device 9 as described above. Reference numeral 13 denotes a winding device.

[0017] Next will be described a method of manufacturing an optical fiber cable according to the above-described apparatus. When the spacer 1 is set in this device, as a preparation work before starting full-scale operation, the spacer 1 is moved by a distance d from the engagement position of the detection pin 53 of the slot angle detection device 5 to the dropping position of the collective die 8.
(In this case, it may be manual), the change in the angle of the slot 2 during that time is stored in the storage device of the computer, and then the full-scale operation is started. In this way, the oldest part of the data of the stored part is the slot 2 of the part of the spacer 1 located at the dropping position of the collective die 8 at the start of operation (previously measured and detected at the position preceding by the distance d). This means angle data. That is, at the start of operation, the SZ plate 7 is started to be rotated forward and reverse by the pulse motor 17 in accordance with the angle data of the slot 2. Thereafter, the SZ board 7 is normally and reversely rotated in accordance with the angle data of the slot 2 which is always detected and measured ahead by the distance d. As shown in FIG. 3, the adjusting rotation of the SZ perforated plate 7 is applied to each slot 2 of the spacer 1 at the dropping position of the collective die 8 by a dividing hole 7.
1 is to correspond angularly. In this manner, the optical fiber cord 10 extending from the SZ plate 7 is accurately accommodated in the slot 2 of the spacer 1.

[0018] If the slot 2 in the same winding direction is assumed to be one pitch followed spacer, the slot angle detector 5 while the spacer 1 is advanced only that one pitch 360
The slot angle detector 5 starts to rotate in the reverse direction, and then rotates again by 360 degrees, and this kind of alternating rotation continues. At this time, the portion of the optical fiber cord 10 located on the upstream side of the SZ perforated plate 7 is wound around the outer peripheral portion of the winding guide tube 61, and when the rotation is reversed, the winding is released and the winding is wound in the opposite direction. The operation is repeated. In the course of this operation, the guide tube 61 is wound by the optical fiber cord 10.
Is applied in the longitudinal direction or the optical fiber cord 10 is rotated.
The reason why the excessive force is not applied to the winding guide cylinder 61 is that the winding guide cylinder 61 is supported in a highly flexible manner as described above.

If the above-described control method is complicated, the slot angle detection pin 53 may be brought very close to the drop position of the collective die 8 or may be placed at almost the same position. At this time, although not shown, if the detection pin 53 is not shown in the drawing, it may be in the form of a thin plate so as not to come into contact with the optical fiber cord 10 entering the slot 2. Good.

In addition, although not shown, another slot dedicated to angle detection is formed in the spacer 1 in parallel with the slot 2, and the detection pin 53 is inserted into this dedicated slot.
Can be prevented from interfering with the optical fiber cord 10 and damaging it. In this form, the hollow cylinder halves 51 and 52 in the apparatus of FIG. 1 are merged at the same position as the collecting die 8.

[0021]

According to the present invention, since the detection of the change in the angle of the slot of the spacer is advanced by the distance d from the dropping position or performed accurately at that position,
The SZ perforated plate can be precisely copied and controlled so that the branch hole and the slot of the spacer are literally aligned and correspond to each other. As a result, the effect of accurately dropping the optical fiber cord is obtained. is there. For this reason, there is no need for any adjustment movement in the longitudinal direction of the collective die in the prior art and any possible adjustment of the take-off speed, and the advantage is that the structure of the manufacturing machine used is extremely simple.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified side view showing an example of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a spacer having a perforated SZ winding slot used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Spacer 2 Slot 3 Sending device 4 Tension giving device 5 Slot angle detecting device 51, 52 Hollow cylindrical half 53 Detection pin 6 Optical fiber cord winding guide device 61 Winding guide tube 62 Support spring 63 Spacer protection tube 7 SZ plate 71 branch hole 8 assembly die 9 holding caterpillar device 10 optical fiber cord 11 taping device 12 take-up device 13 winding device 14 torque motor 15 encoder 16 amplifying device 17 pulse motor 18 drive motor

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-123308 (JP, A) JP-A-63-239409 (JP, A) JP-A-63-259610 (JP, A) JP-A-2- 308111 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model 2-19105 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 1-36812 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 2-113712 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 3-39708 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02B 6/44 391

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An appropriate tension is applied to the spacer (1) over an appropriate length in a path for feeding and winding the spacer (1) having at least one SZ winding slot (2) formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof. Providing a section to perform;
In the section, the same number of the optical fiber cords (10) as the slots (2) are fed around the spacer (1) in the same direction as the traveling direction, and are rotatably provided around the spacer (1). The optical fiber cord (10) is disposed downstream of the SZ plate (7) through the same number of slot holes (71) as the number of slots formed in the SZ plate (7). Dropping into the slot (2) in the set assembling die (8), and, at an appropriate position in the tension applying section, the slot (2) having positive and negative circumferential directions with the running of the spacer (1). Detecting the angle change, wherein the dropping step is detected earlier by a distance (d) between the angle change detection position and the optical fiber cord dropping position. According to said The method is characterized in that the Z-segment plate (7) is rotated in the forward and reverse directions while performing scanning control so that each of the branch holes (71) and each of the slots (2) linearly correspond to each other. A method for manufacturing an SZ-wound slot spacer type optical cable. 2. The manufacturing method of an SZ-wound slot-spacer type optical cable according to claim 1, wherein said angle change detection position is made coincident with the position of a collective die, and said distance (d) is set to zero. Method.