JP3974901B2 - Optical fiber cable recycling method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber cable recycling method and apparatus, and more particularly to an optical fiber cable recycling method and apparatus for recovering polyethylene and aluminum used in the cable.

  In recent years, fiber optic cables have been rapidly spreading for communication, replacing conventional copper electric cables, and the types thereof can be used depending on the application, such as for ground laying, underground laying, seabed laying, and house drawing. Has increased. These optical fiber cables must be replaced as they reach the end of their useful lives, and the optical fiber cables as waste materials reach 1000 tons / year, and are expected to increase to 10,000 tons / year in 5 years.

  Material recycling has been screamed for this waste optical fiber cable, and research and development is underway in various directions, but it is still not on track for practical use.

  Conventional copper wire cables can recover expensive copper, so profitable material recycling is performed by the wire recycling industry directly connected to wire manufacturers, general nuggets, and the dismantling industry. However, optical fiber cables do not contain expensive valuable materials and are composed of composite materials such as polyethylene, steel, and glass fiber, so the value of material recycling is not found, and many remain optical fiber cables. At present, it is processed into landfills without being dismantled.

  A conventional technique for recycling an optical fiber cable is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method of recycling from an optical fiber cable with an aluminum wrap as a recycled raw material for an outer sheath, a slot member, aluminum, iron, and copper. In the technique of Patent Document 1, an optical fiber cable is cut into a sheath (2) with an aluminum wrap (3) (see FIG. 15) along the longitudinal direction of the cable by a conventional copper cable stripping machine, and a core ( 5-10) (paragraph numbers 0060, 0061). The separated outer sheath with aluminum wrap is pulverized and sorted into polyethylene for outer sheath and aluminum for aluminum wrap. In addition, an example is shown in which the slot of the core is separated into a polyethylene slot member (5) and a slot strength member (10) by roll press (see paragraphs 0074 and 0321). Patent Document 1 does not describe recycling of a cable with a messenger that holds the optical fiber cable along the optical fiber cable.

  As in Patent Document 1, when a cut is made in the outer sheath so that it can be separated from the core, the cut needs to substantially reach the core. For this reason, inclusions such as plastic tape on the core surface are also partially cut and attached to the separated outer sheath, which may reduce the purity of the recovered material (polyethylene, aluminum) from the outer sheath. Low-grade polyethylene recovered materials and aluminum recovered materials with low purity cannot be recycled as they are.

  Further, the separation of the slot member and the slot strength member due to the crushing of the roll press does not lead to the complete separation of the slot member and the slot strength member, and it is considered necessary to separate them by other means such as manual work.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-249323 (refer to the first page of the specification [summary], paragraph numbers 0060, 0061, 0074, 0321, FIGS. 15 to 25)

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for recycling an optical fiber cable in which the purity of a recycled material is increased while the number of steps is relatively small. It is what.

  In the present invention, the fiber cable and messenger joint is cut by a separator cutter along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the fiber cable and messenger dividing step for dividing the fiber cable and messenger into the fiber cable and messenger, and the fiber cable and messenger dividing step. A square groove roll crushing step in which the messenger is sandwiched between square groove rolls, crushed at the edge of the square groove by rotation of the square groove roll, and the messenger envelope is divided in the longitudinal direction to separate the messenger envelope and the core wire; A messenger envelope crushing step for crushing the messenger envelope separated by the groove roll crushing step, and recovering the messenger envelope pulverized by the messenger envelope crushing step as a valuable material. Achieved .

  In the present invention, the sheath part of the fiber cable is cut at a depth that does not reach the core along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the fiber cable is cut by the above-described splitting process of the sheath part. The sheath is peeled off by the peeling pinch roll, and the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling step is pulverized by rotating the peeling pinch roll to tear the remaining portion of the sheath and tearing it off from the core. A sheath pulverizing step, and recovering the sheath pulverized by the sheath pulverizing step as a valuable material, thereby achieving the object.

  In the present invention, the sheath part of the fiber cable is cut at a depth that does not reach the core along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the fiber cable is cut by the above-described splitting process of the sheath part. The sheath is peeled off by the peeling pinch roll, and the peeling of the sheath is peeled off from the core by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll, and the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling step is desired. A core cutting step for cutting the core into two lengths, and the core cut by the core cutting step is separated into slots, glass fibers, and the like and collected as valuable materials to achieve the above object.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned sheath part halving step, before the cable is inserted, the tip of the cutter blade is positioned at a reference position that contacts the outer surface of the cable, and the cutter blade is deeply inserted into the sheath part only at the initial stage of cable insertion. The above object is achieved by intruding and performing a cutting process, and then retreating the cutter blade and continuously performing a cutting process at a half-cut position where the cutter blade tip does not reach the core.

  In the present invention, the cord wound on the outer surface of the core separated by the sheath peeling process is further cut along the longitudinal direction of the core, and then high-pressure air is blown into the vacuum. The above object is achieved by forcibly collecting inclusions such as strings and tapes by the suction process.

  Further, in the present invention, the sheath is made of polyethylene with an aluminum wrap, and the sheath crushed by the sheath pulverization step is submerged in water into a mixture of polyethylene and aluminum + aluminum / polyethylene by a hydro system. A specific gravity separation process for separating by specific gravity, and a wet specific gravity differential separation process for separating the aluminum / polyethylene mix separated by the specific gravity separation process into a mix of aluminum and aluminum / polyethylene with reduced aluminum components by a wet sorter. The aluminum / polyethylene mix separated by the wet specific gravity difference separation step is returned to the sheath pulverization step, and the sheath pulverization step, specific gravity separation step and wet specific gravity difference separation step are repeated to obtain polyethylene, aluminum and aluminum.・ Separate into a polyethylene mix, Polyethylene and aluminum may be recovered as a valuable material from over the nest.

  In the present invention, the slot further includes polyethylene and a steel wire, and a polyethylene / steel wire separation step of separating the separated slot into polyethylene and a steel wire by a slot stripper. Then, the polyethylene separated by the polyethylene / steel wire separation step may be pulverized into a pellet-like valuable material.

  In the present invention, among the formations forming the optical fiber cable, polyethylene is separated so as not to adhere glass fibers and other inclusions and then pulverized to obtain polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5% or more. Thus, the above object is achieved.

  Further, in the present invention, among the formations forming the optical fiber cable, polyethylene and aluminum are separated so that glass fibers and other inclusions do not adhere, and then pulverized and separated from the polyethylene and aluminum by specific gravity separation in water. By obtaining polyethylene pellets with a purity of 99.5% or more and aluminum with a purity of 98% or more, the above object is achieved.

  In the present invention, the fiber cable and messenger dividing means for cutting the seam between the fiber cable and the messenger along the longitudinal direction of the cable with a separator cutter and dividing the fiber cable and the messenger, and the fiber cable and messenger dividing means The messenger divided by the above is sandwiched between square groove rolls, and the square groove roll is crushed at the edge of the square groove to divide the messenger jacket made of polyethylene in the longitudinal direction to separate the messenger jacket from the steel core wire. Desirable groove roll crushing means, messenger jacket crushing means for pulverizing the messenger jacket separated by the square groove roll crushing means into polyethylene pellets, and a core wire separated by the square groove roll crushing means Cutting to length By providing a that messenger wire cutting means, the above-mentioned object can be achieved.

  In the present invention, the sheath part of the fiber cable is cut by a depth that does not reach the core along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the fiber cable is cut by the sheath part half-cutting means. The sheath is peeled off by the peeling pinch roll, the sheath peeling means for tearing off the remaining portion of the cut of the sheath by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll, and the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling means. The object is achieved by comprising a sheath crushing means for cutting and a core cutting means for cutting the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling means into a desired length.

  According to the present invention, the sheath part halving means includes a cutter blade that cuts the fiber cable sheath along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and a feed that supports the cutter blade so that the cutter blade can advance and retreat with respect to the outer surface of the cable. By driving this feed mechanism, the sheath is cut with a cutter blade to a considerably deeper position of the sheath only at the start of cable insertion, and then halved to a depth that does not reach the core. The above object is achieved by retracting the cutter blade to the position.

  In the present invention, the slot polyethylene separated from the core separated from the core cut by the core cutting means is separated into the polyethylene and the steel wire, and separated by the slot peeling means. Slot polyethylene pulverizing means for pulverizing the obtained polyethylene into polyethylene pellets and slot steel wire cutting means for cutting the steel wire separated by the slot stripping means into a desired length may be provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, a cut processing mechanism that cuts the cord enclosing the outer surface of the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling means along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the cut processing mechanism The object described above can be achieved by further comprising inclusion inclusion forced recovery means for forcibly recovering the treated inclusions such as strings and tapes by a pneumatic action and / or a vacuum suction action.

  Further, in the present invention, the sheath part halving means for cutting the polyethylene sheath part with the aluminum wrap of the fiber cable at a depth that does not reach the core along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the slit by the sheath part halving means. The sheath that has been put is sandwiched between peeling pinch rolls, and by peeling the pinch roll, the sheath peeling means for tearing off the remainder of the cut of the sheath and peeling it from the core, and the sheath peeling means for separating the sheath from the sheath Core cutting means for cutting the core to a desired length, sheath pulverizing means for pulverizing the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling means, and the sheath pulverized by the sheath pulverizing means are converted into polyethylene by a hydro system. And water with aluminum + aluminum / polyethylene mix Specific gravity separation means for separating by specific gravity at the same time, and wet specific gravity difference separation means for separating the aluminum / polyethylene mix separated by the specific gravity separation means into a mix of aluminum and aluminum / polyethylene with reduced aluminum components by a wet sorter; By having the above, the above object can be achieved.

  In the present invention, the slot polyethylene separated from the core separated from the core cut by the core cutting means is separated into the polyethylene and the steel wire, and separated by the slot peeling means. Slot polyethylene pulverizing means for pulverizing the obtained polyethylene into polyethylene pellets and slot steel wire cutting means for cutting the steel wire separated by the slot stripping means into a desired length may be provided.

  According to the present invention, the fiber cable sheath portion is cut at a depth that does not reach the core along the longitudinal direction of the cable, the fiber cable sheath with the cut is sandwiched between the peeling pinch rolls, and the peeling pinch roll Of the formations forming the optical fiber cable, the glass fiber and other inclusions do not adhere to the formation forming the optical fiber cable, such as by peeling off the rest of the cut of the sheath by the rotation and peeling it off the core. And then pulverized to obtain polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5% or more and aluminum having a purity of 98% or more, and the polyethylene pellets and aluminum can be efficiently recycled.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Recycling optical fiber cable with messenger covered with a slotted core with a sheath with aluminum wrap]
In Example 1, as described in detail below, polyethylene and steel are recovered from the messenger, polyethylene and aluminum are recovered from the sheath, and polyethylene and steel are recovered from the slot. Further, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the portion other than the core slot.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus used in the first half process of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing the process executed in FIG. 1, and FIGS. FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (d) and FIGS. 5 (e) and 5 (f) are process diagrams showing the latter half of the first embodiment, and the optical fiber cable is recycled in the order of the steps of the first embodiment. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber cable showing the state, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a cut unit that performs a half cut, and FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are explanatory views showing a half cut process. 8 is a perspective view showing the process of FIG. 5 (f), FIG. 9 is an explanatory view for explaining the principle of the wet sorter of FIG. 3 (a), and FIG. 10 is a process for cutting the string on the outer periphery of the core. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a process of collecting inclusions, and FIG. 12 shows the principle of the slot stripping machine shown in FIG. 3 (b). It is an explanatory diagram that.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a turntable, and a rewind reel 3 around which an optical fiber cable 2 to be recycled is wound is set on the turntable 1.

  4 is a stripping machine. A width determining guide 5, introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6, separator cutters 7 and 7, cutter blades 8 and 8, and square groove rolls 9 and 9 are mounted on the stripping machine 4. The introduction pinch roll 6 is rotationally driven by an introduction pinch roll drive motor 11, the separator cutter 7 is rotationally driven by a separator cutter drive motor 12, and the angular groove roll 9 is rotationally driven by an angular groove roll drive motor 13.

  The guide width of the width determining guide 5 is set in accordance with the thickness of the optical fiber cable 2, and the optical fiber cable 2 wound around the reel 3 and having a slight curl remains smoothly on the introduction pinch roll 6 side. Guided. The guide width can be adjusted to the thickness of the optical fiber cable 2 by using an adjustable width determining guide or by preparing a plurality of width determining guides according to the thickness of the optical fiber cable 2.

  An introduction pinch roll interval adjusting means (not shown) is provided so that the interval between the introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the optical fiber cable 2.

  Cutter blade interval adjusting means 8a is provided so that the interval between the cutter blades 8 and 8 can be adjusted according to the diameter of the fiber cable 2a and the thickness of the sheath 21.

  The angular groove roll interval adjusting means 9a is provided so that the interval between the angular groove rolls 9, 9 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the messenger 2b.

  14, 14 and 15, 15 are peeling pinch rolls, respectively, and are rotationally driven by a peeling pinch roll drive motor (not shown).

  Separation pinch roll interval adjusting means (not shown) is provided so that the interval between the separation pinch rolls 14, 14 and 15, 15 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the sheath 21.

  The stripping machine 4 is an apparatus that executes the first half of the optical fiber cable recycling process. The latter half of the optical fiber cable recycling process is performed in combination with known devices, as will be apparent from the description of the recycling process sequence.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the optical fiber cable 2 of the first embodiment has a structure in which a fiber cable 2a and a messenger 2b are connected by a joint portion 2c. The fiber cable 2 a has a polyethylene sheath portion 21 surrounding the core 20. An aluminum wrap layer 22 is wrapped around the polyethylene inner periphery of the sheath portion 21. A nylon string layer 23, a cotton tape layer 24, a polypropylene yarn 25, and a slot portion 26 are concentrically arranged on the core 20 from the outer periphery, and a stranded steel wire (steel wire) is disposed at the center of the slot portion 26. 27 is embedded. The cotton tape layer 24 has water absorption, and the nylon string layer 23 restrains the polypropylene yarn 25, the cotton tape layer 24, and the like.

  The messenger 2b reinforces the strength when the fiber cable 2a is installed, and the fiber cable 2a is supported by the messenger 2b. The messenger 2b is a messenger jacket 28 made of polyethylene, and a stranded steel wire (steel wire) 29 is embedded in the center thereof.

  Hereinafter, the recycling process of the optical fiber cable 2 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the tip of the optical fiber cable 2 of the rewind reel 3 is inserted into the width determining guide 5 (201 in FIG. 2), and is inserted between the introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6 while being guided by the width determining guide 5 (in FIG. 2). 202). As shown in FIG. 4A, the introduction pinch roll 6 is a roll having a V-shaped cross section, and a strong messenger 2b is sandwiched between the V-shaped grooves. The optical fiber cable 2 is sent between the separator cutters 7 and 7 by the rotation of the introduction pinch roll 6.

  Separator cutters 7 and 7 are rolls having a sharp outer periphery. As shown in FIG. 4B, the separator cutters 7 and 7 bite into the joint portion 2c between the fiber cable 2a and the messenger 2b, and connect them in the longitudinal direction of the cable. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the fiber cable 2a and the messenger 2b are separated (203 in FIG. 2).

  Here, the messenger 2b is bent slightly to the side and is guided between the square groove rolls 9, 9. By the crushing action of the square groove roll, the groove edges 9e, 9e,... Of the square groove rolls 9, 9 bite into the polyethylene messenger jacket 28 of the messenger 2b as shown in FIG. The outer jacket 28 is divided into four parts in the longitudinal direction and separated from the central twisted steel wire 29 (204 in FIG. 2).

  The separated polyethylene messenger jacket 28 is fed into a cylinder cutter (not shown), chopped and crushed into polyethylene pellets (205 in FIG. 2), packed in a flexible container bag (206 in FIG. 2), and valuable. It is collected as a product. Since the messenger jacket 28 is hardly contaminated with steel wire or other impurities, the purity of the polyethylene pellets was maintained at 99.5%.

  On the other hand, the separated stranded steel wire 29 is sent to an alligator shear (not shown), cut to a desired length (207 in FIG. 2), bound (208 in FIG. 2), and recovered as a valuable steel wire. Is done.

  The fiber cable 2a separated from the messenger 2b by the separator cutters 7 and 7 is sent straight as it is by the rotation of the introduction pinch roll 6, and is sent between the cutter blades 8 and 8 facing each other. ), The cutter blades 8 and 8 cut the polyethylene sheath portion 21 at a depth that does not reach the core 20 along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the sheath portion 21 is in a halved state ( 209 in FIG.

  The half sheath portion 21 remains attached to the core 20 as it is and cannot be separated from the core 20. However, this half-split process is one important process of the present invention. If the cutting edge of the cutter blade 8 reaches the outer periphery of the core 20 in a full split, the nylon string layer 23 on the outer periphery of the core 20; The cotton tape layer 24, the polypropylene yarn 25, etc. are also cut, and those chips adhere to the polyethylene sheath portion 21 side, thereby reducing the purity of the recovered polyethylene and significantly reducing its valuable value. It will end up.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (f), the sheath portion 21 of the fiber cable 2 a having the cut is manually torn into two. By the way, in this embodiment, a driving mechanism for the cutter blade 8 shown in FIG. 6 is adopted. That is, the cutter blade 8 is provided with the above-described cutter blade interval adjusting means 8a and the cutter blade feed mechanism. The cable 2a is conveyed in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 6 by rolls 51a and 51b that are rotatably supported by the gantry 50.

  First, the cutter blade interval adjusting means 8a includes an elevating rod 8b that is supported so as to be movable up and down on the upper portion of the gantry 50, a support block 8c that is integrated with the lower end side of the elevating rod 8b, and moves the upper rotor 51a up and down. It comprises a manual handle 8d provided at the upper end of the lifting rod 8b.

  Accordingly, when the manual handle 8d is operated, the lifting rod 8b screwed to the nut 8e at the top of the gantry 50 is moved up and down, and the support block 8c also moves up and down accordingly, and the cutter blade receiver 8f is moved to the cutter. The blade 8 can be moved to adjust the cutter blade interval appropriately. As described above, the cutter blade interval adjusting means 8a can effectively cope with the difference in the specification of the cable diameter of the cable 2a.

  Next, the configuration of the feed mechanism portion of the cutter blade 8 will be described. First, cutter blade feed units 52 are provided at two upper and lower positions of the gantry 50 so that the cutting edge of the cutter blade 8 faces the outer surface of the cable 2a from the upper and lower sides of the cable 2a conveyed by the rolls 51a and 51b. The cutter blade feeding unit 52 includes a unit base 53 attached to the gantry 50, a pulse motor 54 supported by the unit base 53, a ball screw 55 coupled to the pulse motor 54 via a coupling 54a, a ball screw 55, The slider 56 is configured to be screwed and slide on the unit base 53 along the axial direction of the ball screw 55 and to support the cutter blade 8. Guide ridges 57 for guiding the slider 56 are provided on both sides of the unit base 53.

  Therefore, by driving the pulse motor 54 at a predetermined rotational speed, the slider 56 moves forward and backward along the ball screw 55 in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the cutter blade 8 can adjust the cutting margin of the sheath portion 21 with respect to the cable 2a. It is a mechanism.

  The operation of the cutter blade 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the tip of the cutter blade 8 is set at a position where the outer diameter of the cable 2a is 0 before the cable 2a is inserted (see FIG. 7A). When the device is switched on when the cable 2a is inserted, the slider 56 slides toward the left side in FIG. 6 as the pulse motor 54 rotates, and as a result, the cutter blade 8 enters the sheath portion 21. As shown in FIG. 7 (b), the blade tip of the cutter blade 8 penetrates deeply into the sheath portion 21 up to the position indicated by reference numeral d1 in the figure as shown in FIG. 7B.

  Subsequently, when the cable 2a is being inserted, the pulse motor 54 rotates in the reverse direction when the travel proceeds about 1 m, and the slider 56 moves backward, so that the cutter blade 8 also moves backward. As a result, the cutter blade 8 is retracted to a position indicated by reference sign d2 in the drawing, which is about ½ of the thickness of the sheath portion 21, and the cable 2a advances at a constant speed during this time.

  Next, when the cable has advanced about 2 m from the tip, it automatically stops, the sheath portion 21 at the tip is inserted into the peeling pinch rolls 14 and 15, and then restarted. The cutter blade 8 shown in FIG. Cut processing and peeling work at the split position (position shown in FIG. 7C) are continuously performed.

  Thus, by adopting a feed mechanism including the pulse motor 54 and the slider 56 of the ball screw 55, the cutting margin of the sheath portion 21 by the cutter blade 8 can be varied. That is, only the distal end portion of the cable 2a is cut deeply, and thereafter, a half cut up to about ½ of the thickness of the sheath portion 21 is performed, so that the sheath portion when inserting into the pinch rolls 14 and 15 is performed. 21 has the advantage that it can be carried out very easily without using a tool.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8, they are sandwiched between the peeling pinch rolls 14, 14, 15, and 15, respectively, and by the rotation of the peeling pinch rolls 14 and 15, the remaining portion 21 a of the cut of the sheath portion 21 is torn off from the core 20. It is peeled off (210 in FIG. 2).

  The sandwiching pinch roll 14, 14 or 15, 15 is sandwiched by the manual work, but as shown in FIG. 8, the tip of each peeling pinch roll has a tapered shape. Can be carried out easily and smoothly.

  Thus, the polyethylene sheath 21 with the aluminum wrap 22 separated from the core 20 is pulverized by a pulverizer (not shown) to become fine particles in which polyethylene and aluminum are mixed (301 in FIG. 3A).

  Fine particles containing polyethylene and aluminum mixed by pulverizing the sheath 21 are separated into polyethylene and aluminum by the following steps and collected as valuable resources.

  Fine particles mixed with polyethylene and aluminum are placed in water and stirred, and separated into polyethylene and “mix of aluminum + aluminum attached to polyethylene” by a hydro system (not shown) that uses the difference in specific gravity of fine particles (Fig. 3 (a) 302).

  The polyethylene pellets separated by the hydro system were free from inclusions such as cotton tape and nylon strings, and were dehydrated (303 in FIG. 3 (a)), and a measurement value of 99.5% purity was obtained. Therefore, the polyethylene obtained from the sheath 21 can also be recovered as a high-quality and valuable valuable material (304 in FIG. 3A).

  Next, the “mixture of aluminum and aluminum mixed with polyethylene” separated by the hydro system is separated into aluminum and mix by a wet sorter shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 9, 30 is a vibrating sorting basket installed at an inclination, 31 is a guide tube, and 32 is a shower pipe.

  The vibratory sorting basket 30 is vibrated with a small amplitude in an oblique vertical direction as indicated by an arrow m by an attached vibration device (not shown). This vibration acts to convey an object placed on the vibration type sorting basket 30 to the right side of the drawing.

  From the guide cylinder 31, “a mixture of aluminum 21 n and a mix 21 m in which aluminum adheres to polyethylene” is introduced, and this mixture falls to a substantially central portion of the vibrating sorting basket 30.

  A water shower discharges from the shower pipe, and the water flow flows on the vibration sorting basket 30 to the right in the figure.

  Since the vibration sorting basket 30 is in this way, the mix 21m having a relatively small specific gravity floats on the vibration sorting basket 30 due to the water flow and flows to the left in the figure. On the other hand, aluminum having a relatively large specific gravity has many opportunities to come into contact with the bottom surface of the vibration sorting basket 30 and is conveyed to the right in the drawing by the conveying action of the vibration exciter. Thus, the aluminum 21n and the mix 21m are separated (305 in FIG. 3A).

  The separated aluminum is drained (306 in FIG. 3A) and packed in a flexible container bag (307) and collected as aluminum valuables. When the purity of this aluminum was measured, a measured value of 98% purity was obtained. Although a small amount of polyethylene seems to be mixed, the polyethylene contamination can be easily removed by heat-treating aluminum at a high temperature, and the purity of 98% can be sufficiently recycled for practical use.

  Since the separated mix still contains aluminum and polyethylene, the mix separated by the wet sorter is returned to the grinder (301) again to separate the polyethylene (303). The amount of polyethylene and aluminum recovered can be increased by applying again to the wet sorter (305) and separating into aluminum and mix. After repeating this process several times, the mix having a reduced polyethylene and aluminum content is discarded (308).

  Next, the recycling process of the core 20 separated from the sheath 21 by the above-described peeling process (210 in FIG. 2) will be described.

  First, the core 20 is cut into a desired length by shearing (not shown) (211). The cut core 20 is manually removed by removing inclusions such as the glass fiber 40, the nylon string 23, the cotton tape 24, the polypropylene yarn 25, etc. from the slot 41 (212).

  At this time, in order to smoothly collect the nylon string 23 and the cotton tape 24, for example, before cutting the core 20, as shown in FIG. Or the nylon string 23 is cut from the upper and lower sides of the core 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, when carrying the roll 61 of the core 20, after the nylon string 23 is cut with the cutter blade 60, high-pressure air is blown from above with a blower 62, and further vacuum suction from the vacuum suction pump 63 is performed. The end pieces 23 ′ and 24 ′ of the nylon string 23 and the cotton tape 24 are forcibly recovered in the hopper 64 by force.

  If the forced recovery process of the nylon string 23 and the cotton tape 24 is employed in this way, manual handling work is unnecessary, and labor saving and efficient recovery processing are possible.

  The sorted glass fiber 40 and other inclusions can be recycled according to their respective uses.

  Since the selected slot 41 is polyethylene having a stranded steel wire 27 in the center, these are separated by a slot stripper whose principle is shown in FIG. 12 (310 in FIG. 3B). In the slot stripping machine, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), one side of the slot 41 is cut in the longitudinal direction with one wheel cutter 70, and then the opposite side is placed on the other side as shown in FIG. 12 (b). It cut | disconnects in the longitudinal direction with the wheel cutter 71, and isolate | separates from the twisted steel wire 27 like FIG.12 (c).

  The polyethylene slot 41 separated by the slot stripper is shredded and pelletized by a cylinder cutter (not shown) (311), packed in a flexible container bag (312), and collected as valuable polyethylene. Since this polyethylene is hardly contaminated with steel wire or other impurities, the purity of the polyethylene pellets was maintained at 99.5%.

  On the other hand, the stranded steel wire 27 separated by the slot stripping machine is cut to a desired length by an alligator not shown (313), bound (314), and collected as a valuable steel material.

  By the way, as already explained, there are various types of optical fiber cables depending on applications. The present invention supports the processing of various types of optical fiber cables. Hereinafter, some examples will be described. In any case, depending on the type of the optical fiber cable, the processes in the first embodiment are combined, and the recycling process is performed only by adjusting the roll interval of each means. be able to.

[Recycling optical fiber cable with messenger covered with slotted core with sheath without aluminum wrap]
In Example 2, polyethylene and steel are recovered from the messenger, polyethylene is recovered from the sheath, and polyethylene and steel are recovered from the slot. Also, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the core.

  FIG. 13 is a process diagram showing the processing steps of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber cable recycled in the second embodiment. 14, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4A and 5F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The optical fiber cable shown in FIG. 14 is recycled according to the processing steps of FIG. 13, and polyethylene, steel, fiber, and other inclusions are collected. That is, in the same manner as in Example 1, polyethylene pellets and steel wire bundles having a purity of 99.5% were recovered from the messenger 2b, and after the fiber cable 2a was separated into the core 20 and the sheath 21, the core 20 It is separated into inclusions such as the slot portion 26, the glass fiber 40, the nylon string 23, the cotton tape 24, and the polypropylene yarn 25 (901 in FIG. 13 (see II in FIG. 2)). Inclusions such as glass fiber and nylon string are collected and recycled according to their use.

  Since the sheath 21 of the optical fiber cable of the second embodiment has no aluminum wrap, the sheath 21 is polyethylene having a purity of 99.5%. Therefore, the sheath 21 is shredded by a cylinder cutter to become polyethylene pellets (902), packed in a flexible container bag (903), and collected.

  As in the first embodiment, the slot portion 26 is separated into a slot 41 and a stranded steel wire 27 by a slot stripper, and further, the separated slot 41 is shredded by a cylinder cutter into polyethylene pellets, which is a flexible container bag. The stranded steel wire 27 is packed and collected, and is cut by an alligator shear, bound, collected as a steel wire bundle, and recycled (904 in FIG. 13 (see IIIB in FIG. 3)).

[Recycling optical fiber cable with messenger covered with a slotless core with a sheath without aluminum wrap]
In Example 3, polyethylene and steel are collected from the messenger, and polyethylene is collected from the sheath. Also, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the core.

  FIG. 15 is a process diagram showing the processing steps of the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber cable recycled in the third embodiment. In FIG. 16, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4A and 5F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 16, reference numeral 42 denotes a nylon string in which a bundle of glass fibers 40 is collected and wound.

  The optical fiber cable shown in FIG. 16 is recycled according to the processing steps of FIG. 15, and polyethylene, steel, fiber, and other inclusions are collected. That is, in the same manner as in Example 1, polyethylene pellets and steel wire bundles having a purity of 99.5% were recovered from the messenger 2b, and after the fiber cable 2a was separated into the core 20 and the sheath 21, the core 20 It is separated into inclusions such as glass fiber 40, nylon string 23, cotton tape 24, polypropylene yarn 25 (111 in FIG. 15 (see II in FIG. 2)). Since the optical fiber cable of the third embodiment has no slot, there is no slot processing. Inclusions such as glass fiber and nylon string are collected and recycled according to their use.

  Since there is no aluminum wrap in the sheath 21 of the optical fiber cable of the third embodiment, the sheath 21 is polyethylene having a purity of 99.5%. Therefore, the sheath 21 is shredded by a cylinder cutter to become polyethylene pellets (112), packed in a flexible container bag (113), and collected.

[Recycling of fiber optic cable without messenger coated with slotted core with sheath without aluminum wrap]
In Example 4, polyethylene is recovered from the sheath, and polyethylene and steel are recovered from the slot. Also, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the core.

  FIG. 17 is a process diagram showing the processing steps of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber cable recycled in the fourth embodiment. 18, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4A and 5F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The optical fiber cable shown in FIG. 18 is recycled according to the treatment process of FIG. 17, and polyethylene, steel, fiber, and other inclusions are collected.

  An optical fiber cable without a messenger is guided from a rewinding reel 3 by a width determining guide similar to the width determining guide 5 in FIG. 1 (131 in FIG. 17), and is sandwiched between introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6 and sent. (132), the cutter blades 8 and 8 cut the polyethylene sheath 21 at a depth that does not reach the core 20 along the cable longitudinal direction, and the sheath 21 is halved (133).

  Next, the cut sheath 21 is sandwiched between the release pinch rolls 14, 14, 15, and 15, and the rotation of the release pinch rolls 14 and 15 tears off the remaining cut portion of the sheath 21 and pulls it from the core 20. It is peeled off (134).

  The peeled sheath 21 is shredded by a cylinder cutter to form polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5% (135), packed in a flexible container bag (136), collected, and recycled.

  The core 20 is cut by shearing (137) and selected and separated into inclusions such as the slot 41, the glass fiber 40, the nylon string 23, the cotton tape 24, and the polypropylene yarn 25 (138).

  The slot portion 26 is separated into a polyethylene slot 41 and a stranded steel wire 27 by a slot stripping machine. The slot 41 is chopped by a cylinder cutter into polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5%. Is cut with an alligator shear, bound, recovered as a steel wire bundle, and recycled (139 (see IIIB in FIG. 3)).

  Glass fiber 40 and inclusions are also recycled for their respective applications.

[Recycling of messenger-free optical fiber cables with a sheath with aluminum wrap and a core without slots]
In Example 5, polyethylene and aluminum are collected from the sheath. Also, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the core.

  FIG. 19 is a process diagram showing the processing steps of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber cable recycled in the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 20, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4A and 5F are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The optical fiber cable shown in FIG. 20 is recycled according to the treatment process of FIG. 19, and polyethylene, fiber, and other inclusions are collected.

  An optical fiber cable without a messenger is guided from a rewinding reel 3 by a width determining guide similar to the width determining guide 5 in FIG. 1 (151 in FIG. 19), and is sandwiched between the introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6 and sent. (152), the cutter blades 8 and 8 cut the polyethylene sheath portion at a depth that does not reach the core 20 along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the sheath portion 21 is in a half-split state (153).

  Next, the cut-out sheath portion 21 is sandwiched between the peeling pinch rolls 14, 14, 15, 15, and the remaining portion of the cut of the sheath portion 21 is torn off by the rotation of the peeling pinch rolls 14, 15. Is peeled off (154).

  The peeled sheath 21 with the aluminum wrap is pulverized by a pulverizer and separated into polyethylene, aluminum, and a mix by a hydro system. The separated polyethylene is dehydrated into polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5%, packed in a flexible container bag, collected and recycled. Also, the aluminum and the mix are separated into the aluminum and the mix by a wet sorter, and the aluminum is drained to a purity of 98%, packed in a flexible container bag, collected and recycled. The mix separated by the wet sorter is returned to the grinder to further separate the aluminum and polyethylene therein, and the grinding, hydro system, and wet sort steps are repeatedly performed (see FIG. 3B, IIIB). )).

  The peeled core 20 is cut by shearing (156), sorted into glass fiber 40 and inclusions such as nylon string 23, cotton tape 24, polypropylene yarn 25, etc. (157) and interposed with glass fiber 40. Goods are also recycled for each use.

[Recycling of messenger-free optical fiber cable with a sheath without an aluminum wrap and a core without a slot]
In Example 6, polyethylene is collected from the sheath. Also, fibers and other inclusions are recovered from the core.

  FIG. 21 is a process chart showing the processing steps of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 22 is a sectional view of an optical fiber cable recycled in the sixth embodiment. 22, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4A and 5F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The optical fiber cable shown in FIG. 22 is recycled according to the processing steps of FIG. 21, and polyethylene, fiber, and other inclusions are collected.

  An optical fiber cable without a messenger is guided from a rewinding reel 3 by a width determining guide similar to the width determining guide 5 in FIG. 1 (171 in FIG. 21), and is sandwiched between the introduction pinch rolls 6 and 6 and sent. (172), the cutter blades 8, 8 cut the polyethylene sheath 21 at a depth that does not reach the core 20 along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the sheath 21 is halved (173).

  Next, the cut sheath 21 is sandwiched between the release pinch rolls 14, 14, 15, and 15, and the rotation of the release pinch rolls 14 and 15 tears off the remaining cut portion of the sheath 21 and pulls it from the core 20. It is peeled off (174).

  The peeled polyethylene sheath 21 is shredded and pulverized by a cylinder cutter into polyethylene pellets having a purity of 99.5% (175), packed in a flexible container bag (176), and collected and recycled.

  The peeled core 20 is cut by shearing (177), and then separated and separated into glass fiber 40 and inclusions such as nylon string 23 and cotton tape 24 (178). Glass fiber 40 and inclusions are also separated. Recycled for each application.

The perspective view of the apparatus used for the first half process of 1st Example of this invention. Process drawing which shows the process performed in FIG. (A), (b) is process drawing which shows the latter half process of 1st Example. (A)-(d) is sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable which shows the state by which an optical fiber cable is recycled in order of the process of a 1st Example. (E), (f) is sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable which shows the state by which an optical fiber cable is recycled in order of the process of a 1st Example. Explanatory drawing which shows the drive mechanism of the cutter blade used in 1st Example of this invention. (A)-(c) is explanatory drawing which shows the half cut process process in a sheath part. The perspective view which shows the process of FIG.5 (f). Explanatory drawing explaining the principle of the wet sorter of Fig.3 (a). Explanatory drawing which shows the process of cut-processing the string of a core outer surface. Explanatory drawing which shows the collection | recovery process of an inclusion. Explanatory drawing explaining the principle of the slot stripping machine of FIG.3 (b). Process drawing which shows the process of 2nd Example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable recycled in a 2nd Example. Process drawing which shows the process process of 3rd Example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable recycled in a 3rd Example. Process drawing which shows the process process of 4th Example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable recycled in a 4th Example. Process drawing which shows the process process of 5th Example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable recycled in a 5th Example. Process drawing which shows the process process of 6th Example of this invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber cable recycled in a 6th Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Turntable 2 Optical fiber cable 2a Fiber cable 2b Messenger 2c Seam part 3 Rewinding reel 4 Stripping machine 5 Width guide 6 Introduction pinch roll 7 Separator cutter 8 Cutter blade 8a Cutter blade space | interval adjustment means 8b Lifting rod 9 Angular groove roll 9a Square groove roll interval adjusting means 9e Edge 11 Introducing pinch roll drive motor 12 Separator cutter drive motor 13 Square groove roll drive motor 14, 15 Peeling pinch roll 20 Core 21 Sheath 22 Aluminum wrap (layer)
23 Nylon string (layer)
24 Cotton tape (layer)
25 Polypropylene yarn 26 Slot 27 Twisted steel wire (steel wire)
28 Messenger jacket 29 Twisted steel wire (steel wire)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Vibrating sorter 31 Guide pipe 32 Shower pipe 40 Glass fiber 41 Slot 50 Mount 51a, 51b Roll 52 Cutter blade feed unit 53 Unit base 54 Pulse motor 55 Ball screw 56 Slider 57 Guide protrusion 60 Cutter blade 61 Roll 62 Blower 63 Vacuum Suction pump 64 Hopper 70, 71 Wheel cutter

Claims (16)

A fiber cable and messenger dividing step of cutting the joint portion of the fiber cable and messenger with a separator cutter along the cable longitudinal direction, and dividing the fiber cable and messenger;
The messenger divided by the fiber cable and messenger dividing process is sandwiched between square groove rolls, and the messenger envelope is separated into the messenger envelope and the core wire by crushing at the edge of the square groove by the rotation of the square groove roll and dividing the messenger envelope in the longitudinal direction. Square groove roll crushing process,
A messenger envelope crushing step for crushing the messenger envelope separated by the square groove roll crushing step, and collecting the messenger envelope crushed by the messenger envelope crushing step as a valuable material. How to recycle optical fiber cables. A sheath part halving step in which the sheath part of the fiber cable divided by the fiber cable messenger dividing process is cut at a depth that does not reach the core along the cable longitudinal direction;
A sheath peeling step in which the sheath of the fiber cable cut by the sheath parting step is sandwiched between peeling pinch rolls, and the peeling portion of the sheath is torn off from the core by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll; and
A method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheath crushing step of crushing the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling step, and collecting the sheath crushed by the sheath crushing step as a valuable material. A sheath part halving step in which the sheath part of the fiber cable divided by the fiber cable messenger dividing process is cut at a depth that does not reach the core along the cable longitudinal direction;
A sheath peeling step in which the sheath of the fiber cable cut by the sheath parting step is sandwiched between peeling pinch rolls, and the peeling portion of the sheath is torn off from the core by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll; and
A core cutting step of cutting the core separated from the sheath into a desired length by the sheath peeling step;
The fiber optic cable recycling method according to claim 1, further comprising: separating the core cut by the core cutting step into a slot part, a glass fiber, and the like and collecting them as valuable materials . In the sheath part halving step, before inserting the cable, the cutter blade tip is positioned at a reference position that comes into contact with the outer surface of the cable, and the cutter blade is deeply penetrated into the sheath part only at the initial stage of cable insertion, and then cut. The method of recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cutter blade is retracted, and the cut is continuously cut at a half-cut position where the cutter blade tip does not reach the core. The cord wound on the outer surface of the core separated by the sheath peeling process is cut along the longitudinal direction of the core, and then high-pressure air is blown and the cord, tape, etc. are interposed by vacuum suction treatment. The method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the object is forcibly collected. The sheath is made of polyethylene with aluminum wrap,
A specific gravity separation step of separating the sheath pulverized by the sheath pulverization step into a mix of polyethylene and aluminum + aluminum / polyethylene by a specific gravity in water by a hydro system;
A wet specific gravity difference separation step of separating the aluminum / polyethylene mix separated by the above specific gravity separation step into a mix of aluminum and aluminum / polyethylene with reduced aluminum components by a wet sorter;
The aluminum / polyethylene mix separated in the wet specific gravity difference separation step is returned to the sheath pulverization step, and the sheath pulverization step, specific gravity separation step and wet specific gravity difference separation step are repeated to obtain polyethylene, aluminum , Separated into a mix of aluminum and polyethylene, and recovered polyethylene and aluminum as valuables from the sheath
The method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 2. The slot portion has polyethylene and steel wire,
Further comprising a polyethylene / steel wire separation step of separating the separated slot portion into a polyethylene slot and a steel wire by a slot stripping machine;
The polyethylene separated by the polyethylene / steel wire separation step is pulverized into pellet-like valuables.
The method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 3. A polyethylene pellet having a purity of 99.5% or more is obtained by separating polyethylene from glass fiber and other inclusions so as not to adhere, among the products forming the optical fiber cable, and then pulverizing the polyethylene fiber. 7. A method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to 7. Among the products forming optical fiber cables, polyethylene and aluminum are separated so that glass fiber and other inclusions do not adhere, and then pulverized and separated in water to obtain a specific gravity of 99.5% or more. 7. The method for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 6 , wherein the polyethylene pellets and 98% or more of aluminum are obtained. Fiber cable and messenger dividing means for cutting the fiber cable and messenger joints into the fiber cable and messenger by cutting with a separator cutter along the longitudinal direction of the cable,
The messenger divided by the fiber cable and messenger dividing means is sandwiched between square groove rolls, crushed at the edges of the square grooves by the rotation of the square groove rolls, and the messenger jacket made of polyethylene is divided in the longitudinal direction, and the messenger jacket and steel A chamfer roll crushing means that separates the core wire,
Messenger jacket crushing means for crushing the messenger jacket separated by the square groove roll crushing means into polyethylene pellets,
A fiber optic cable recycling apparatus comprising: a messenger core wire cutting means for cutting the core wire separated by the square groove roll crushing means into a desired length. A sheath part halving means that cuts the sheath part of the fiber cable divided by the fiber cable messenger dividing means at a depth that does not reach the core along the cable longitudinal direction;
A sheath peeling means for pinching the fiber cable sheath cut by the sheath part halving means between the peeling pinch rolls, and tearing off the remainder of the cuts of the sheath by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll;
Sheath crushing means for crushing the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling means;
The fiber optic cable recycling apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising: a core cutting means for cutting the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling means into a desired length.   The sheath part halving means includes a cutter blade that cuts the fiber cable sheath along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and a feed mechanism that supports the cutter blade so that the cutter blade can advance and retreat with respect to the outer surface of the cable. By driving the feeding mechanism, the sheath is cut with a cutter blade to a considerably deep position of the sheath only at the start of cable insertion, and then the cutter blade is retracted to a half-split position that does not reach the core. The apparatus for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured as described above. A slot stripping means for peeling the polyethylene slot of the slot portion separated from the core cut by the core cutting means and separating the polyethylene into a steel wire;
Slot polyethylene crushing means for crushing polyethylene separated by the slot stripping means into polyethylene pellets;
The apparatus for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising slot steel wire cutting means for cutting the steel wire separated by the slot stripping means into a desired length. A cut processing mechanism that cuts the cord covering the outer surface of the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling means along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and a cord, tape, etc. cut by the cut processing mechanism Means for forcibly recovering inclusions by means of compressed air action and / or vacuum suction action;
The apparatus for recycling an optical fiber cable according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising: A sheath part halving means that cuts the polyethylene sheath part with the aluminum wrap of the fiber cable divided by the fiber cable messenger dividing means at a depth that does not reach the core along the cable longitudinal direction,
A sheath peeling means for pinching the sheath cut by the sheath part halving means between the peeling pinch rolls, and tearing off the rest of the cuts of the sheath by the rotation of the peeling pinch roll;
Core cutting means for cutting the core separated from the sheath by the sheath peeling means into a desired length;
Sheath crushing means for crushing the sheath separated from the core by the sheath peeling means;
Specific gravity separation means for separating the sheath pulverized by the sheath pulverization means into a mix of polyethylene and aluminum + aluminum / polyethylene by a hydrosystem with specific gravity in water,
Claims, characterized in that it comprises a wet specific gravity difference separation means for separating the mix less since aluminum Polyethylene Aluminum and aluminum components by wet sorter mix the separated aluminum polyethylene by the gravity separation means 10. An optical fiber cable recycling apparatus according to item 10 . Slot stripping means for separating the polyethylene separated from the core cut by the core cutting means into polyethylene and steel wire;
Slot polyethylene crushing means for crushing polyethylene separated by the slot stripping means into polyethylene pellets;
The optical fiber cable recycling apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising slot steel wire cutting means for cutting the steel wire separated by the slot stripping means into a desired length.

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