JP3281667B2 - Printing method and apparatus for printing on optical fiber ribbon - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing method and apparatus for printing an identification code on an optical fiber ribbon, and completely prevents the printing from becoming thin or hard to read due to sharpening. You can do it.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, on the surface of an optical fiber ribbon,
For example, “3-2” meaning the second tape of the third unit
Are printed by a printing method such as ink jet. To print on the surface of these optical fiber tape cores, a number of cores are arranged in parallel, coated with a resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin (UV resin), and taped. Is performed by a method of printing on On the other hand, when the communication cable has a jelly compound filling type structure, when branching and connecting the optical fiber, the jelly compound attached to the tape core wire drawn from the cable tube is wiped clean with alcohol or the like. Must take. However, since the ink used for printing is a solution in which a pigment is dissolved in a solvent, when wiping the jelly attached to the surface of the tape core, the print is wiped off together, and the printed identification symbol is printed. It is often difficult to identify, which may reduce the efficiency of the connection operation or cause a connection error.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent the identification code of the optical fiber ribbon printed on the surface of the optical fiber ribbon when the jelly compound is wiped off. An object of the present invention is to devise a printing method so that a printed symbol can be clearly printed without using a special printing ink, and the printed identification symbol can be protected by a coating resin for forming a tape.

[0004]

Means taken to solve the above problem is to provide a printing method for printing an identification symbol on an optical fiber ribbon by coating a large number of optical fiber wires with a coating resin. Prior to the formation, a large number of optical fiber wires were densely aligned and aligned by an alignment roller formed by a grooved roller having a semicircular cross-section and a center of curvature of an inner surface of the annular groove on an outer peripheral surface. This means that the identification symbol of the optical fiber ribbon is directly printed on the surface of a large number of optical fiber wires, and then taped through a tape die.

[0005]

A large number of optical fiber strands are the same in a state where the cross-section is an annular groove having a semicircular cross section, and the center of curvature of the inner surface of the annular groove is closely aligned with each other by a grooved roller on the outer peripheral surface. After being provided on a flat surface, the identification symbol of the optical fiber ribbon is directly printed on the surface thereof using conventional ink and conventional printing equipment. Immediately thereafter, the optical fiber is passed through a tape-forming die, coated with a UV resin or the like in the same manner as before, and taped, and the optical fiber tape is printed on the surface of the optical fiber with this coating resin. Is covered and protected. Since the coating resin for forming the tape is extremely thin, the identification mark printed on the surface of the optical fiber can be seen through the coating. Since the jelly-like compound adhered to the surface of the tape core wire is wiped off with alcohol or the like since the resin is covered with the coating resin, the identification mark printed on the surface of the optical fiber is not erased by this.

[0006]

Next, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the apparatus embodying the present invention, a conventional print injector 2 is disposed immediately before a conventional taped die 1, and an alignment roller 3 is disposed immediately before the conventional print injector. A large number of optical fiber wires f are densely aligned on the same plane by the alignment rollers 3 as shown in FIG. Since the fiber diameter of the optical fiber strand f is extremely small, the group of surfaces arranged is a smooth surface. On this surface, the identification symbol of the optical fiber ribbon is printed by the print injector 2.
Immediately after printing this identification code, a group of densely aligned optical fiber wires is coated by passing through the tape-forming die 1,
Further, the optical fiber ribbon T is completed by passing through the ultraviolet irradiation device 4. The aligning roller 3 is configured by two grooved rollers 10 and 11 which are arranged to be shifted in front and rear and up and down. The grooved rollers 10 and 11 are arranged so as to be in contact with the same horizontal plane from above and below, and have annular grooves g having a semicircular cross-section equal in number to the aligned optical fiber strands. The grooved rollers 10 and 11 are used to align the number of the optical fiber wires to 12 (the wire diameter d of the wire is 250 μm), and is made of a highly wear-resistant tetrafluoroethylene resin (so-called Teflon). And its diameter D is 20 mm.
The width B of the annular groove g of the grooved rollers 10 and 11 is 250 μm,
The depth H is 125 μm. The center of curvature of the inner surface of the annular groove g of the grooved roller is on the outer peripheral surface, and the adjacent annular grooves g are in contact with each other on the outer peripheral surface. By using the grooved rollers having this structure, the optical fiber strands can be aligned as closely as possible without rubbing each other.

[0007]

The present invention solves a new problem and solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. That is, even if the optical fiber ribbon is wiped with alcohol, the identification code of the optical fiber ribbon printed on the tape optical fiber is not erased by this, so that the identification code is unclear or indistinguishable. It is possible to solve the problem of the work error or the problem of the decrease in the work efficiency due to the occurrence of the above condition. Further, as another invention, the above problem can be solved by a method in which the printed portion is coated with a resin film by means such as spraying the printed portion with a resin immediately after printing on the surface of the coated resin. However, according to this method, it is necessary to dispose a coating device for the coating resin film and a curing device for rapidly curing the applied resin immediately after the printing device, which significantly increases the cost of the entire device. On the other hand, the present invention merely adds a very inexpensive alignment roller to the conventional apparatus, and thus hardly increases the cost of the apparatus. This is a very advantageous effect in terms of cost reduction of the entire apparatus. Also, the invention according to claim 1 is a method of forming a tape immediately after printing an identification symbol of an optical fiber ribbon on a surface forming a long side of a cross section of a group of optical fibers in which a large number of optical fibers are densely aligned. The printed identification code can be easily protected by this coating resin, and the resin coating can maintain excellent identification characteristics regardless of the subsequent process. Is played. Further, the invention according to claim 2, alignment rollers in cross-section arranged alignment rollers by grooved roller located on the center of curvature outer peripheral surface of an annular groove of semicircular inner surface of the annular groove, the
A large number of optical fibers are densely aligned and aligned by the alignment rollers.
In the printing device in the obtained surface of the plurality of light off Aiba strands
Therefore, the identification code of the optical fiber ribbon is printed directly,
Optical fiber with the identification code of the optical fiber ribbon
Bar wires are covered with the above tape forming device and taped.
It is one that has an annular groove of semicircular cross-section which all the set alignment of the optical fiber to align, since the annular groove adjacent the structure in contact with each other on the outer peripheral surface, optical fiber-containing The lines can be aligned as tightly as possible without rubbing each other, and a large number of tightly aligned
On the surface of the fiber, the identification code of the optical fiber
Print directly with a printing device , then tape and cover in this state
Can be performed .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of a grooved roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Die to tape 2 ... Printing injector 3 ... Alignment roller 4 ... Ultraviolet irradiation device 10, 11 ... Roller with a groove f ... Optical fiber strand T ... Optical fiber tape Core wire g: annular groove B: width of annular groove H: depth of annular groove d: wire diameter

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-58-207008 (JP, A) JP-A-62-87919 (JP, A) JP-A-63-185108 (JP, U) JP-B-4-15965 (JP) , B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/44 H01B 13/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] Before coating a large number of optical fiber wires with a coating resin to form a tape, a large number of optical fiber wires are formed into an annular groove having a semicircular cross section, and the center of curvature of the inner surface of the annular groove is formed. By aligning closely with grooved rollers on the outer peripheral surface, the identification code of the optical fiber ribbon is printed directly on the surface of the aligned many optical fiber wires, and then taped through a tape die. Printing method to print on optical fiber ribbon. 2. A printing device is arranged in front of a tape forming device, and further in front of the printing device, a grooved roller having a semicircular annular groove having a center of curvature of an inner surface of the annular groove on an outer peripheral surface. The alignment rollers are arranged, and a large number of lights are
A large number of optical fibers that are closely aligned and aligned
Optical fiber tape core on the surface of the strand
The identification code of the fiber is printed directly, and the
The above-mentioned tape conversion device for optical fiber wires with different symbols printed
Coated optical fiber tape
Printing device for identification symbols .