JP2963444B1 - Self-supporting optical cable manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing apparatus in which a self-supporting optical cable is continuously molded by an extrusion molding machine and a portion connecting an optical fiber unit wire and a support wire has slack. SOLUTION: An extended support line 20A and an optical fiber unit line 10A are supplied to an extruder 32 via a relay drum 31 so that the support line 20A and the optical fiber unit line 10A are integrally formed. . Reference numeral 33 denotes a capstan for drawing out the self-supporting optical cable integrally formed by the extruder 32, and the optical fiber unit wire 10A.
Is provided with a take-up groove 33a that abuts with the support wire portion, and a take-up groove 33b with which the support wire portion abuts is provided. It is formed so as to meander, and the optical fiber unit wires are integrated in a loosened shape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a self-supporting optical cable in which a tension member and an optical fiber unit line for transmitting information are integrated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 6A to 6C show the structure of a self-supporting optical cable. FIG. 6A is a side view of a part of the self-supporting optical cable, and FIG. It is -C sectional drawing. Reference numeral 50 denotes the entire self-supporting optical cable, 51 denotes a tension member (hereinafter, referred to as a support line or a suspension line),
Reference numeral 2 denotes an optical fiber unit line in which a plurality of optical cable cores are arranged. As shown in FIG. 6B, the suspension wire 51 is coated with a resin, for example, a steel wire 51a having a tensile strength.
Reference numeral 2 denotes a plurality of optical fibers or tape-shaped optical fibers, which are protected by a filler or a pressure-resistant shell, and the surface of which is covered with a sheath made of a resin such as polyethylene.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a connecting portion. The connecting portion 53 is provided at required intervals, and the optical fiber unit line 52 is fixed to and suspended from the support line 51, and is provided with some slack. Supported. As a method of manufacturing the self-supporting optical cable 50, for example, Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 29811, a molding method has been carried out.

In this molding method, a support wire 51 and an optical fiber unit wire 52 are positioned and arranged in a mold at a position to be a connecting portion 53, and the mold is formed into the same shape as the outside of the connecting portion 53. A resin such as, for example, polyethylene is injected into the mold. The support wire 51 and the optical fiber unit wire 5 are fixed by the resin.
2 is fixed, and the connecting portion 53 is formed as shown in FIG.

However, in such a manufacturing method, there is a problem that the manufacturing time for forming the connecting portions 53, 53... Is long, and efficient manufacturing cannot be performed. That is, as a manufacturing process of one connecting portion 53,
1. The steps of positioning and mounting the tension member 51 and the optical cable 52 in the mold, 2. injecting resin, 3. molding with the mold, 4. cooling, and 5. removing from the mold are required. In particular, the steps of resin injection, molding, and cooling require several tens of seconds or more even for a small connecting portion.
Further, since the connecting portion 53 is molded while supplying the supporting wire 51 and the optical fiber unit wire 52 to the mold for molding and while giving a slack to the optical fiber unit wire 52, there is a problem of space in the factory. Productivity was not good.

Therefore, the supporting wire and the optical fiber unit wire are simultaneously supplied to the extruder at a predetermined interval to cover the surfaces thereof with the resin, and a part of the resin coated with each other is continuously connected to the connecting portion. As shown in FIG. 6 (c), a supported optical fiber cable having a connection type support structure for integrating the support wire 61 and the optical fiber unit wire 62 is manufactured by extrusion molding as described above. Methods are known.

[0007]

The optical cable having such a continuous support structure can be manufactured by extrusion while continuously drawing out the support wire 61 and the optical fiber unit wire 62, so that the efficiency is very high. In order to protect the optical fiber unit line 62 which is vulnerable to the elongation and distortion of the supporting line 61 serving as a tensile strength line, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, it is necessary to form the connecting portion 63 that connects in a meandering manner, and there is a problem how to configure the slack.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for manufacturing a self-supporting optical cable according to the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the first invention is an optical fiber unit line and an optical fiber unit. A feeding means for individually sending out tension members supporting the unit wires, an optical fiber unit wire supplied from the sending means, and an extrusion for integrating the supporting wires in the longitudinal direction via a connecting portion having a predetermined interval. A molding machine, a capstan for winding the supporting optical cable integrated with the extrusion molding machine, and a supporting optical cable manufacturing apparatus including a cooling tank for cooling the supporting optical cable drawn out by the capstan,
The winding surface of the capstan includes a first groove for guiding the support line and a second groove for guiding the optical fiber unit line, and the second groove has a meandering winding diameter. With such a configuration, the groove length is equal to the first groove length.
Is configured to be substantially longer than the groove length. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above-described manufacturing apparatus, the support wire of the support type optical cable integrated with the winding surface of the capstan abuts on a bottom surface, and the optical fiber unit wire is on the winding surface. The optical fiber unit is provided with a vertically elongated groove which is guided in contact with the optical fiber unit line, and a surface in contact with the optical fiber unit wire is meandering in a radial direction.

[0009]

With the support type optical cable integrated by the extrusion molding machine, a meandering groove is provided on the winding surface of the capstan on which the optical fiber unit wire is wound, and the support wire integrated by the meandering groove is provided. The optical fiber unit line is loosely connected to the support line.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an outline of an apparatus for manufacturing a self-supporting optical cable according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this figure, 10 is a unit drum around which an optical fiber unit wire is wound, and 20 is a support line drum around which a linear support wire made of steel or tensile strength resin is wound. 11, large wheels 11a and 11b facing each other and 12
a and 12b between the belts 16a and 16b, respectively.
b is a suspended first caterpillar, and belts 16a, 16b are provided with small wheels 13a, 14a, 15 respectively.
a and 13b, 14b, 15b.

Reference numeral 21 denotes large wheels 21a and 21b, large wheels 22a and 22b, and belts 26a and 26b, like the first caterpillar 11.
a, 26b in the direction in which the small wheels 23a, 24b are pressed against each other.
a, 25a and a second track driven by 23b, 24b, 25b. Reference numeral 30 denotes a driving means (belt) for connecting and driving the first caterpillar 11 and the second caterpillar 21 to each other, and all the wheels are driven by rotating one of the large wheels of the caterpillar. Are rotated at a predetermined speed.

Reference numeral 31 denotes the first and second caterpillars 11, 2
Optical fiber unit line 10A sent out by 1
And the support wire 20A is maintained at a predetermined interval, and the extruder 32
It is a relay drum to be supplied to. The extruder 32 includes a crosshead 32A for coating the resin melted and softened by heating around the support wire 20A and the optical fiber unit wire 10A. After passing through the crosshead 32A, the support wire 20A and the optical fiber are connected. The unit wire 10A is formed integrally.

Reference numeral 33 denotes a capstan for drawing out a self-supporting optical cable integrally formed by the extruder 32, which is disposed in a cooling tank or the like. Numeral 34 denotes a cooling tank for curing the self-supporting optical cable drawn out by the capstan 33. The cooling tank 34 is configured to lower the temperature of the resin extruded by the cooling tank 34 and then wind it up by the winding drum 35. .

FIG. 2A shows a specific example of the winding surface of the capstan 33. The capstan 33 shown in this figure is provided with, for example, a take-up groove 33a in which the portion of the optical fiber unit wire 10A abuts and a take-up groove 33b in which the support wire portion abuts in order to take up the integrally formed support type optical cable. Have been. The groove 33a that guides and winds the optical fiber unit wire 10A so that the center of the groove 33a meanders with respect to the winding groove 33b that winds the other support line 20a as shown by a dashed line. Is formed. The meandering direction can also be formed so as to undulate with respect to the radial direction of the capstan 33.

As shown in the sectional view taken along the line xx of FIG. 2B, the surface 33c where the connecting portion 30A of the support wire 20A and the optical fiber unit wire 10A abuts on the capstan winding surface. The surface 33c has a shallow diameter r1 at a position where the optical fiber unit wire 10A and the support wire 20A are farthest from each other, and the surface of the portion where the optical fiber unit wire 10A and the support wire 20A are close to each other. If the diameter r2 of 33c is formed to be deep, the optical fiber unit wire 10A is formed such that when it is taken up by the capstan 33, the connecting portion that loosens in the direction away from the support wire 20A is extended. In addition, there is an effect that a support type optical cable having no side wobble can be manufactured.

As described above, since the capstan 33 used in the present invention is configured such that the second groove is meandering or wavy with respect to the first groove, the optical fiber unit wire 10A is more suitable. A large amount of the resin is drawn out from the support wire 20A, so that the connecting portion of the integrated resin is periodically expanded and compressed on the surface 33c of the surface of the capstan 33 where the connecting portion 30A of the supporting optical cable abuts. And
The optical fiber unit wire is supplied to the next cooling tank 34 while being cooled to some extent in a slack form with respect to the support wire.

Next, the capstan 33 shown in FIG. 3 is configured such that the support wire 10A of the integrated support type optical cable has a vertically elongated groove 33.
The optical fiber unit wire 10A is configured to be in contact with the bottom surface 33e of d, and supported by the surface 33f of the capstan. The capstan provided with the vertical groove 33d is essentially composed of the optical fiber unit line 10A.
In this case, the diameter of the surface 33f with which the optical fiber unit wire 10A abuts is wavy in the diameter direction and meanders, and as shown in the figure, the optical fiber unit Position of line 10A and support line 2
If the interval Ux of 0A is configured to periodically change by Δx in the circumferential direction of the capstan, the connecting portion 30A expands and contracts periodically when being wound by the capstan, and the optical fiber unit wire 10A becomes a support wire. Will be integrated in a loose state.

When the capstan 33 as described above is used, the difference in the winding length is caused by the first caterpillar 11
And the feed speed of the second caterpillar 12, but a plurality of such capstans having different winding diameters are arranged as shown in FIG. In the case of forcibly pulling out the formed support type optical cable due to the difference in the groove length, the feed control of the caterpillar can be omitted.

FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-sectional view and a front view of a crosshead 32A in which the optical fiber unit wire 10A and the support wire 20A are integrated by the extruder 32, and the optical fiber unit wire 10A passes through. The opening 32a and the opening 32b through which the support wire 20A passes are provided at a predetermined interval (this interval becomes a connecting portion). These opening holes 3
Outlets for extruding resin such as plastic are provided on the outer peripheral portions of 2a and 32b, and the extruded resins 32c and 32c are connected to the optical fiber unit line 10A as indicated by the dotted area.
Is formed so as to be a sheath of the supporting wire 20A and a sheath of the supporting wire 20A, and an opening is provided so that the resin 32d of a portion forming a part of the sheath portion pushed out from the center portion forms a connecting portion.

FIG. 5 shows a self-supporting optical cable (10A, 2A) in which the capstans 32 are arranged stepwise as three capstans 40A, 40B, 40C.
0A) is drawn in via each capstan 40 (A, B, C). In this case, as shown in FIG. 5B, the capstan 40 has a plurality of grooves 41a and 41b having different winding diameters arranged as shown in FIG.
(Grooves 42a, 42b), (43a, 43b), (44
a, 44b), and multiple winding diameters may be provided on one capstan.

In the present invention, a self-supporting optical cable is manufactured as follows using the manufacturing apparatus as described above. The optical fiber unit wire 10A and the support wire 20A carried by the unit drum 10 and the support wire drum 20 are:
A first caterpillar 11 and a second caterpillar 12
At a predetermined speed, for example, V1
Is drawn by V2. If the speeds V1 and V2 are, for example, 100 for the support line, for example, 0.2 to 0.5 for the optical fiber unit line
The speed V2 is adjusted so as to be a percentage increase.

Then, at this pull-out speed, the relay drum 3
Extruder 3 to which molten resin is supplied via 1
2 and are interconnected by being integrally molded. The cross-section of the crosshead 32A provided on the outlet side as described above has an opening 32 through which the support 20A line passes, as shown in FIG.
b and the opening 32 through which the optical fiber unit wire 10A passes
a is provided, and the opening holes 32a. A passage through which the resin flows is formed such that the molten resin is extruded by a predetermined amount from the peripheral portion of 32b. The extruded resin is the supporting wire 20A and the optical fiber unit wire 10A.
To form a sheath of the support wire 20A and a sheath of the optical fiber unit wire 10A, and a part of these sheaths are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction to form a connection portion (neck portion) 30A.

The integrated self-supporting optical cable is wound by the capstan 33 shown in FIG. 2 before the coated resin material is cured. At this time, the support line of the self-supporting type optical cable integrated with the optical fiber unit line 10A as shown in FIG.
Becomes meandering when winding up.
The extra length of the optical fiber unit wire 10A sent out more than the feed amount of the support wire 20A by the caterpillar 11 is absorbed by the winding of the capstan 33, so that insufficient winding does not occur.

As described above, the self-supporting type optical cable manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is configured such that one of the winding grooves is meandering, so that the distance of the optical fiber unit line 10A connected to the supporting line 20A is reduced. It can be integrated in a state of slack in the vertical direction so as to change periodically, handling becomes easy, and when the support wire 20A is stretched under tension at the time of laying or when the support wire 20A is stretched due to wind or the like after the laying, Even when it hangs, the optical fiber unit wire 10
A is connected via the connecting portion 31A in a loosened state, so that these tensions and stresses are applied to the connecting portion 3A.
It is possible to solve the problem of being easily absorbed by the deformation of 0A and deteriorating the transmission loss of the optical fiber.

By providing slits or openings at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cable with respect to the integrated supporting optical cable connecting portion 30A, the flexibility of the connecting portion is improved and the wind pressure is reduced. It is preferable that the length be relaxed and that the imbalance in the length per unit length between the support line and the optical fiber unit line be absorbed. Such a slit or opening is provided in the crosshead 3 of the extruder.
2A is provided with a cutting tool and a pin for periodically cutting off a portion where the resin 32d constituting the connecting portion is extruded, and cutting the connecting portion of the self-supporting optical cable integrally formed with the pin or the cutting tool. Preferably, the slit is formed in synchronization with the meandering of the capstan.

[0026]

As described above, in the apparatus for manufacturing a self-supporting optical fiber cable according to the present invention, in the step of integrating the tension members supporting the optical fiber unit wires, the take-off amount is larger than the supply amount of the tension members. Because the capstan uses one groove meandering or waving to give an optical fiber unit line after being integrated with the extruder, the optical fiber unit line is connected to the support line in a loose form, There is an effect that it is possible to continuously manufacture a support type optical cable capable of coping with the extension of the wire and the dispersion and relaxation of the tension at the connecting portion.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a manufacturing process of an optical cable according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a capstan in a device for manufacturing a self-supporting optical cable according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the capstan.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a portion where an optical fiber unit wire and a tension member are integrated with a resin.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a specific example of an arrangement of capstans and a winding groove.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a connecting portion of a conventional self-supporting optical cable.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10A Optical fiber unit line 20A Support line 11 First caterpillar 12 Second caterpillar 31 Relay drum 32 Extruder 33 Capstan

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Takahiro Kuwashima, Inventor: 1-2-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside the Nippon Ocean Submarine Cable Co., Ltd. (72) Kazumasa Nemoto 1-2-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo No. Japan Ocean Submarine Electric Wire Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichi Takahashi 1-2-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan Ocean Ocean Submarine Electric Wire Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-9-197223 (JP, A) JP-A-11-23927 (JP, A) JP-A-11-1119069 (JP, A) JP-A-11-101930 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02B 6/44

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical fiber unit line, sending means for individually sending out a tension member supporting the optical fiber unit line, an optical fiber unit line supplied from the sending means, and a support wire at a predetermined distance. An extruder that is integrated in the longitudinal direction via a connecting portion having a capstan, a capstan that winds the support optical cable integrated by the extruder, and cools the support optical cable that is drawn out by the capstan. In a supporting type optical cable manufacturing apparatus including a cooling tank, the winding surface of the capstan is provided with a first groove for guiding the support line and a second groove for guiding the optical fiber unit line. The second groove is configured to meander on the winding surface, so that the second groove length is substantially longer than the first groove length. Self-supporting optical cable manufacturing apparatus characterized by having the structure described. 2. An optical fiber unit line, sending means for individually sending out tension members for supporting the optical fiber unit line, an optical fiber unit line supplied from the sending means, and a predetermined distance from the supporting line. An extruder that is integrated in the longitudinal direction via a connecting portion having a capstan, a capstan that winds the support optical cable integrated by the extruder, and cools the support optical cable that is drawn out by the capstan. In a supporting type optical cable manufacturing apparatus having a cooling tank, a support line of the integrated supporting type optical cable abuts on a bottom surface of the winding surface of the capstan, and the optical fiber unit line is wound by the winding surface. A vertical groove that is guided in contact with the optical fiber unit line, wherein the surface in contact with the optical fiber unit line is wavy in the radial direction. That self-supporting optical cable manufacturing apparatus. 3. The self-supporting type according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second groove length to the first groove length is approximately 1: 1.002 to 1.005. Optical cable manufacturing equipment. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second groove is wavy in a radial direction of the capstan.