JP4084087B2 - Method and apparatus for supporting optical fiber preform - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for supporting optical fiber preform Download PDF

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Publication number
JP4084087B2
JP4084087B2 JP2002154658A JP2002154658A JP4084087B2 JP 4084087 B2 JP4084087 B2 JP 4084087B2 JP 2002154658 A JP2002154658 A JP 2002154658A JP 2002154658 A JP2002154658 A JP 2002154658A JP 4084087 B2 JP4084087 B2 JP 4084087B2
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base material
optical fiber
preform
elastic member
quartz
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JP2003342035A (en
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貴之 佐藤
英明 岩崎
晃生 中島
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THE FURUKAW ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
    • C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/012—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/01205—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments starting from tubes, rods, fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/01225—Means for changing or stabilising the shape, e.g. diameter, of tubes or rods in general, e.g. collapsing
    • C03B37/0126—Means for supporting, rotating, translating the rod, tube or preform
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
    • C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/012—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/014—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments made entirely or partially by chemical means, e.g. vapour phase deposition of bulk porous glass either by outside vapour deposition [OVD], or by outside vapour phase oxidation [OVPO] or by vapour axial deposition [VAD]
    • C03B37/01486—Means for supporting, rotating or translating the preforms being formed, e.g. lathes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
    • C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/02—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by drawing or extruding, e.g. direct drawing of molten glass from nozzles; Cooling fins therefor
    • C03B37/025—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by drawing or extruding, e.g. direct drawing of molten glass from nozzles; Cooling fins therefor from reheated softened tubes, rods, fibres or filaments, e.g. drawing fibres from preforms
    • C03B37/027—Fibres composed of different sorts of glass, e.g. glass optical fibres
    • C03B37/02736—Means for supporting, rotating or feeding the tubes, rods, fibres or filaments to be drawn, e.g. fibre draw towers, preform alignment, butt-joining preforms or dummy parts during feeding

Description

【０００１】
【発明の属する技術分野】
本発明は、光ファイバーの製造における、石英スート母材又はプリフォームの形成や熱処理工程中あるいはプリフォームの線引き工程中、これら光ファイバー母材の揺れを防止する技術に関する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】
高品質の光ファイバーを得るために、良質な光ファイバー母材を製造する方法として、ＶＡＤ法やＯＶＤ法が一般に採用されている。これらの方法は、バーナで形成された火炎中にガラス原料ガスを供給し、火炎加水分解反応又は酸化反応によりスート状のガラス微粒子を生成し所望の形状に堆積させて多孔質ガラス体を得、これを加熱処理により脱水及び透明ガラス化し、気泡や微結晶のない透明ガラス体を得る方法である。そして、この透明ガラス体は、延伸、穴あけ、コラプス等の加工をされ光ファイバー用プリフォームとされる。
また、コアとクラッドの一部とからなるガラス体を延伸したロッド上にガラス微粒子を堆積させ多孔質の複合ガラス体を得、これを加熱処理して透明な光ファイバー用プリフォームとする方法等もある。
そして、このプリフォームは、線引き炉の炉心管内に挿入され、加熱溶融され、線引きされ、溶融紡糸された光ファイバーは外径測定、冷却、樹脂被覆等の工程を経てボビンに巻取られ、光ファイバー素線が形成される。
本発明においては、上記のような多孔質ガラス体や多孔質の複合ガラス体を「石英スート母材」と言い、上記のような透明ガラス体や光ファイバー用プリフォームを「プリフォーム」と言い、これらを合わせて「光ファイバー母材」と言うことにする。
【０００３】
上記した石英スート母材又はプリフォームの形成や熱処理加工等においても、プリフォームの線引きにおいても、図３（ａ）に示すように、従来は支柱（タワー）１に設けられた昇降する母材固定部２に光ファイバー母材５は垂直に吊り下げ支持されている。その連結部は図３（ａ）の点線円Ａの拡大図である図３（ｂ）に示すように、母材固定部２に連結ピン８により石英スート母材又はプリフォーム等の光ファイバー母材５の先端の石英支持棒４が連結されている。そして、石英スート母材やプリフォームは、下方のプロセス炉９の中へ降下、挿入され、形成、熱処理、線引き等が行われていた。
しかし、近年は光ファイバー需要の拡大に対応して、光ファイバーを低コストで大量生産するために母材の大型化や高速度で長時間の連続線引きが行われるようになった。この石英スート母材やプリフォーム等の光ファイバー母材５が大型化することに伴い、耐荷重の支持方式として図４に例示するような石英支持棒４のテーパー部もしくは平面部を母材固定部２で直接支持し、エアーシリンダー等の押圧具７で押圧固定することとなってきた。
【０００４】
大型の石英スート母材又はプリフォームの製造や熱処理工程あるいはプリフォームの線引き工程では、質量が数十ｋｇの光ファイバ母材を母材固定部に吊り下げる形で固定し、熱処理や線引きを行う。そのため、特に線引き工程においては、線引き装置本体の微小な振動が母材に伝わりやすく、母材の下端部分では振幅が増幅されてより大きな揺れとなる場合がある。母材が揺れるとそれはそのままファイバーの揺れとなり、不良品を生ずる要因の一つとなっている。同様に、石英スート母材又はプリフォームの製造工程や熱処理工程においてもこれら母材の揺れは、均質な母材の形成、加工を妨げる原因となっている。
しかし、装置本体の微振動は、装置の操業停止時にも生起していることから、空調機等の近隣設備や屋外の車両走行による地盤の振動等に起因するものと考えられ、完全に遮断することはできないものである。そこで、装置自体が振動を起こしにくい構造を持つよう設計、製作が配慮されてきてはいるが、未だ十分ではない。
一方、小型母材の場合、図３に示すような連結ピン８による連結方法においては、ピン部自体がガタを有しているため、支柱１等の装置から生ずる小さな揺れや振動はその部分で吸収され母材の揺れを引き起こすことははほとんどなかった。しかし、近年のように大型の石英スート母材又はプリフォーム５に対応する図４に示すようなテーパー部もしくは平面部での受けにおいては、支持部と装置本体がリジットな構造となるため装置の揺れや振動の逃げ場が無く、その結果石英スート母材又はプリフォームにその揺れや振動が伝播している。
【０００５】
図５に装置の揺れや振動と母材の揺れとの関係を示す。この装置の揺れや振動は、図５（ａ）に矢印で示すように全方向であり、その伝播は図５（ｂ）にモデル図で示すように加速度として石英スート母材やプリフォーム５の荷重点に作用し、図５（ｃ）のように支持部を固定端としたモーメント重として作用するため、形状の細い石英支持棒４の石英スート母材又はプリフォーム５の付け根部分でたわみを生じ、図５（ｄ）に示すように母材下部先端においては長さ比により、装置の揺れや振動値より大きな揺れが作用することとなる。
その結果、形成工程や熱処理工程で母材が炉壁等に接触したり、線引き工程中に計測器よりファイバーが外れる等の異常が生じることにより、工程の中断等のロスが生じる問題が発生した。
【０００６】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
そこで、本発明は、上記支柱等の装置の振動や揺れの影響を大型の石英スート母材又はプリフォームに及ぼすことなく、光ファイバー母材を支持する方法及び装置を提供し、安定した操業ができることを目的とする。
【０００７】
【課題を解決するための手段】
本発明者等は、上記課題に鑑み鋭意検討を重ねた結果、支柱等の装置の揺れや振動を減らすのは、構造が複雑で高価なものとなるので、振動値も非常に小さいことより、この振動を吸収し、揺れや振動を石英スート母材またはプリフォームに伝播させないことに着目したものである。
すなわち、本発明は、
（１）母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部上面に付設された弾性部材に、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を押圧具で押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する方法、
（２）母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられた吊り下げ用支持部上面に、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を押圧具で押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する方法、
（３）母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部と、その吊り下げ用支持部上面に付設された弾性部材と、押圧具を有し、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を弾性部材に押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置、
（４）母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられた吊り下げ用支持部と、押圧具を有し、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を吊り下げ用支持部上面に押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置、及び、
（５）母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部は、母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられたものであることを特徴とする（３）に記載の光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置、
を提供するものである。
【０００８】
【発明の実施の形態】
次に、本発明の好ましい実施の態様について、添付の図面に基づいて詳細に説明する。なお、各図の説明において従来例と同一の要素には同一の符号を付して重複する説明を省略する。
図１は、本発明の一実施態様である光ファイバーの線引き装置における場合のプリフォームを吊り下げ、固定支持する例を示す概略説明図である。図１に示すように、支柱（タワー）１に取り付けられた昇降自在の母材固定部２に吊り下げ用支持部３を設け、この吊り下げ用支持部３の上面に弾性部材６を付設する。石英支持棒４の平面部をその弾性部材６を介して吊り下げ支持部３に押圧具７で押圧し、大型プリフォーム５を取り付け固定支持する。
一般に、線引き装置の支柱（タワー）１は１階床からの高さが１５ｍ〜３０ｍと非常に高く、１階床面でのタワーの振動測定値が測定不可能である程小さい振動でも、最上部では微小な振動の影響が出ており、今回の例では支柱（タワー）最上部で周期０．５秒、振幅０．０１ｍｍから最大０．１ｍｍ程度、振れ方向はランダムに全方向であった。しかし、前記した支持により、弾性部材で微小な振動を吸収し、押圧具７の押さえ込みもクッション性を持っているため、この程度の石英支持棒４の上部押さえ込み部の平面振動には対応が出来、操業上の支障は出ないものである。
弾性部材６としては、ゴム硬度４０〜９０度、耐熱１５０℃以上、ゴム厚さ３ｍｍ以上の、例えばシリコンゴムやフッ素ゴム［例えば、バイトン（商標名：デュポン社）］等を使用するのが良く、弾性部材６を吊り下げ用支持部３の上面へ、例えば、溝部へ環状に嵌合して付設する。弾性部材としてはバネ材を用いてもよい。さらに、当然本発明において石英支持棒の平面を直接弾性部材６で受けず、その間に金属板を介在させて取り付けても良い。
また、押圧具７としては、エアーシリンダーが好ましく、オイルシリンダー、バネ材を用いた周知の押圧具などが採用できる。押圧具７は、吊り下げ用支持部３に設置するのが母材固定部２からの振動が直接来ないので好ましいが、勿論母材固定部２に設置することもできる。本発明のこれらの支持方法及び支持装置を使用することにより光ファイバー母材の下端部の揺れはほとんど検出されなかった。
【０００９】
また、図１の吊り下げ用支持部３の上面への弾性部材の付設に代えて、図２に示すように、母材固定部２と吊り下げ用支持部３との接合部分に弾性部材が介在されていれば支柱（タワー）等からの振動を吸収する効果があることが認められた。
さらに、吊り下げ用支持部３の上面へ弾性部材を付設すると共に、母材固定部２と吊り下げ用支持部３との接合部分にも弾性部材が介在されていれば、振動吸収の効果がさらに良好になることも認められた。
【００１０】
比較のため、プリフォーム５の石英支持棒４が、母材固定部２のフレームに平面で当たるよう弾性部材なしに支持され、線引き操作中にずれないようにエアーシリンダー７等で押さえ込まれている場合について述べる。プリフォーム５と母材固定部２とは構造上リジットな状態となり、支柱(タワー)１の振動が直接伝播することとなり、前述のようにこの振動が加速度としてプリフォームの荷重中心点に作用し、断面二次モーメントの弱い石英支持棒４のプリフォーム側で大きな「たわみ＝揺れ」となってプリフォーム５を揺らすこととなった。又、固有振動数が影響していることも考えられ、石英支持棒４の長さが長く、石英支持棒４の外径が細く、プリフォーム５の外径が太く、長さが長い、つまり母材質量が大きいほど揺れは大きく、この例ではプリフォーム下部先端が片方向１〜２ｍｍの幅で揺れていた。この揺れはプリフォーム下端部では指で軽く止めることが出来るが、石英支持棒４側ではモーメント上相当の力で押さえ込まなければ揺れは防止できない。
【００１１】
図１、２では光ファイバ線引き装置について記載したが、石英スート母材又はプリフォームの製造や熱処理工程においても、同様の支柱と固定部に母材を支持して行うものであるので、上記と同様の母材支持方法および装置を使用することができる。
【００１２】
【発明の効果】
本発明によれば、支柱からの振動を吸収し、石英スート母材やプリフォーム下部先端の揺れが殆ど無くなり、線引き時にはファイバーが下部の計測器から脱することも無く長時間安定した線引き操業状態を得ることができた。また、石英スート母材の形成においても、母材の揺れがなくスートの堆積が均一にでき、脱水、ガラス化工程等においても、均一な加熱処理ができた。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】本発明の支持装置の一例である。
【図２】本発明の支持装置の他の一例である。
【図３】母材を支持する従来例の概略図で、（ａ）は全体概略図であり、（ｂ）はａの点線円Ａ内の拡大図ある。
【図４】大型母材支持部の従来例の概略図である。
【図５】母材の揺れの説明図で、（ａ）は全体概略図、（ｂ）〜（ｄ）はその要部のモデル図である。
【符号の説明】
１ 支柱（タワー）
２ 母材固定部
３ 吊り下げ用支持部
４ 石英支持捧
５ 母材（石英スート母材又はプリフォーム）
６ 弾性部材
７ 押圧具
８ 連結ピン
９ プロセス炉[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for preventing the shaking of an optical fiber preform during the formation of a quartz soot preform or preform, a heat treatment process, or a preform drawing process in the production of an optical fiber.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to obtain a high-quality optical fiber, a VAD method or an OVD method is generally employed as a method for manufacturing a high-quality optical fiber preform. In these methods, a glass raw material gas is supplied into a flame formed by a burner, soot-like glass fine particles are generated by a flame hydrolysis reaction or an oxidation reaction, and deposited in a desired shape to obtain a porous glass body, This is a method for obtaining a transparent glass body free from bubbles and microcrystals by dehydrating and converting to transparent glass by heat treatment. Then, this transparent glass body is processed into a preform for optical fiber by being subjected to processing such as stretching, drilling, and collapse.
In addition, there is a method of depositing glass fine particles on a rod obtained by stretching a glass body composed of a core and a part of a clad to obtain a porous composite glass body, and heat-treating it to form a transparent optical fiber preform. is there.
The preform is inserted into a core tube of a drawing furnace, heated, melted, drawn, and melt-spun optical fiber is wound on a bobbin through processes such as outer diameter measurement, cooling, and resin coating, A line is formed.
In the present invention, the porous glass body and the porous composite glass body as described above are referred to as "quartz soot base material", the transparent glass body and the optical fiber preform as described above are referred to as "preform", These are collectively referred to as “optical fiber preform”.
[0003]
In the above-described quartz soot base material or preform formation, heat treatment, etc., as shown in FIG. The optical fiber preform 5 is suspended and supported vertically on the fixed portion 2. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), which is an enlarged view of the dotted circle A in FIG. 3 (a), the connecting portion is an optical fiber base material such as a quartz soot base material or a preform by connecting pins 8 to the base material fixing portion 2. A quartz support rod 4 at the tip of 5 is connected. Then, the quartz soot base material and the preform are lowered and inserted into the lower process furnace 9 to perform formation, heat treatment, drawing, and the like.
However, in recent years, in response to the increase in demand for optical fibers, in order to mass-produce optical fibers at a low cost, the base material has been increased in size and drawn at a high speed for a long time. As the optical fiber base material 5 such as the quartz soot base material or the preform is enlarged, the taper portion or the flat portion of the quartz support rod 4 illustrated in FIG. It is supposed to be directly supported by 2 and pressed and fixed by a pressing tool 7 such as an air cylinder.
[0004]
In large-sized quartz soot base material or preform manufacturing, heat treatment process, or preform drawing process, an optical fiber preform with a mass of several tens of kg is fixed in a form that is suspended from the base material fixing part, and heat treatment or drawing is performed. . Therefore, particularly in the drawing process, minute vibrations of the drawing apparatus main body are easily transmitted to the base material, and the amplitude may be amplified at the lower end portion of the base material, resulting in greater shaking. When the base material shakes, it becomes a fiber shake as it is, which is one of the factors that cause defective products. Similarly, in the manufacturing process and the heat treatment process of the quartz soot base material or preform, the shaking of the base material is a cause of hindering the formation and processing of the homogeneous base material.
However, the slight vibration of the main body of the device occurs even when the operation of the device is stopped, so it is considered to be caused by nearby equipment such as air conditioners and ground vibration due to outdoor vehicle travel, etc. It can't be done. Therefore, although the design and manufacture have been considered so that the apparatus itself has a structure that hardly causes vibration, it is not yet sufficient.
On the other hand, in the case of a small base material, in the connection method using the connection pins 8 as shown in FIG. 3, since the pin portion itself has a backlash, small vibrations and vibrations generated from the device such as the support column 1 are in that portion. It was hardly absorbed and caused rocking of the base material. However, since the support portion and the device main body have a rigid structure in the receiving at the tapered portion or the flat portion as shown in FIG. 4 corresponding to the large quartz soot base material or the preform 5 as in recent years, There is no escape for shaking and vibration, and as a result, the shaking and vibration propagate to the quartz soot base material or preform.
[0005]
FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the shaking and vibration of the apparatus and the shaking of the base material. The vibrations and vibrations of this device are omnidirectional as indicated by arrows in FIG. 5A, and the propagation thereof is as shown in the model diagram of FIG. Since it acts on the load point and acts as moment moment with the support portion as a fixed end as shown in FIG. 5C, the quartz soot base material of the thin quartz support rod 4 or the base portion of the preform 5 is bent. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), at the tip of the lower part of the base material, a vibration greater than the vibration or vibration value of the device acts due to the length ratio.
As a result, problems such as loss of process interruption occurred due to abnormalities such as the base material contacting the furnace wall etc. in the forming process and heat treatment process, and the fiber coming off from the measuring instrument during the drawing process. .
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting an optical fiber preform without affecting the vibration and shaking of the apparatus such as the support column on a large quartz soot preform or preform, and capable of stable operation. With the goal.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the present inventors have reduced the vibration and vibration of the apparatus such as the support column because the structure is complicated and expensive, and the vibration value is also very small. The focus is on absorbing this vibration and preventing the vibration and vibration from propagating to the quartz soot base material or preform.
That is, the present invention
(1) An optical fiber preform characterized in that a flat portion of a quartz support rod of an optical fiber preform is pressed and fixed to an elastic member provided on an upper surface of a suspension support provided in the preform fixing portion. Fixing and supporting the base material fixing part of the column,
(2) An optical fiber preform characterized in that a flat portion of a quartz support rod of an optical fiber preform is pressed and fixed with a pressing tool on the upper surface of a suspension support portion provided on the preform fixing portion via an elastic member. A method of fixing and supporting the base material fixing part of the column,
(3) A suspension support portion provided on the base material fixing portion, an elastic member attached to the top surface of the suspension support portion, a pressing tool, and a flat portion of the quartz support rod of the optical fiber base material An apparatus for fixing and supporting an optical fiber base material to a base material fixing portion of a support, wherein the optical fiber base material is pressed and fixed to an elastic member.
(4) A suspension supporting portion provided on the base material fixing portion via an elastic member and a pressing tool are provided, and the flat portion of the quartz support rod of the optical fiber preform is pressed and fixed to the upper surface of the suspension support portion. An apparatus for fixing and supporting an optical fiber base material to a base material fixing portion of a support, and
(5) The suspension support portion provided on the base material fixing portion is provided on the base material fixing portion via an elastic member, and the optical fiber base material according to (3) A device for fixing and supporting the base material fixing part of
Is to provide.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of each drawing, the same elements as those in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example in which a preform is suspended and fixedly supported in an optical fiber drawing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a suspension support portion 3 is provided on a base material fixing portion 2 that can be raised and lowered attached to a column (tower) 1, and an elastic member 6 is attached to the upper surface of the suspension support portion 3. . The flat portion of the quartz support rod 4 is pressed to the suspension support portion 3 via the elastic member 6 by the pressing tool 7, and the large preform 5 is attached and fixedly supported.
In general, the strut (tower) 1 of the wire drawing device is very high from 15 m to 30 m from the first floor, and even if the vibration is so small that the vibration measurement value of the tower on the first floor cannot be measured. The upper part is affected by minute vibrations. In this example, at the top of the column (tower), the period is 0.5 seconds, the amplitude is 0.01 mm to a maximum of about 0.1 mm, and the vibration direction is all directions at random. . However, the above-described support absorbs minute vibrations with the elastic member, and the pressing of the pressing tool 7 has a cushioning property, so that it is possible to cope with this level of planar vibration of the upper pressing portion of the quartz support rod 4. There will be no operational problems.
As the elastic member 6, it is preferable to use, for example, silicon rubber or fluorine rubber [for example, Viton (trade name: DuPont)] having a rubber hardness of 40 to 90 degrees, a heat resistance of 150 ° C. or more, and a rubber thickness of 3 mm or more. Then, the elastic member 6 is attached to the upper surface of the suspension support portion 3 by, for example, being annularly fitted to the groove portion. A spring material may be used as the elastic member. Furthermore, of course, in the present invention, the plane of the quartz support rod may not be directly received by the elastic member 6, but may be attached with a metal plate interposed therebetween.
The pressing tool 7 is preferably an air cylinder, and an oil cylinder, a well-known pressing tool using a spring material, or the like can be used. It is preferable that the pressing tool 7 is installed on the suspension support portion 3 because vibration from the base material fixing portion 2 does not come directly, but of course, it can also be installed on the base material fixing portion 2. By using these supporting methods and supporting devices of the present invention, the bottom end of the optical fiber preform was hardly detected.
[0009]
Further, instead of attaching the elastic member to the upper surface of the suspension support portion 3 in FIG. 1, an elastic member is provided at the joint portion of the base material fixing portion 2 and the suspension support portion 3 as shown in FIG. It was confirmed that there was an effect of absorbing vibrations from a column (tower) etc. if it was interposed.
Furthermore, if an elastic member is attached to the upper surface of the suspension support portion 3 and an elastic member is also interposed at the joint portion between the base material fixing portion 2 and the suspension support portion 3, the effect of vibration absorption can be obtained. It was also found to be better.
[0010]
For comparison, the quartz support rod 4 of the preform 5 is supported without an elastic member so as to hit the frame of the base material fixing portion 2 in a plane, and is pressed by an air cylinder 7 or the like so as not to be displaced during the drawing operation. Describe the case. The preform 5 and the base material fixing portion 2 are structurally rigid, and the vibration of the column (tower) 1 directly propagates. As described above, this vibration acts on the load center point of the preform as acceleration. The preform 5 was shaken by a large “deflection = sway” on the preform side of the quartz support rod 4 having a weak second moment of section. In addition, it is considered that the natural frequency has an influence. The length of the quartz support rod 4 is long, the outer diameter of the quartz support rod 4 is thin, the outer diameter of the preform 5 is thick, and the length is long. The greater the mass of the base material, the greater the swaying. In this example, the lower end of the preform shook with a width of 1 to 2 mm in one direction. Although this shaking can be lightly stopped with a finger at the lower end of the preform, the shaking cannot be prevented unless it is pressed down with a considerable force on the quartz support rod 4 side.
[0011]
In FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical fiber drawing apparatus is described. However, in the manufacture of the quartz soot base material or preform and the heat treatment process, the base material is supported by the same support and fixing portion. Similar matrix support methods and apparatus can be used.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the vibration from the support column is absorbed, the quartz soot base material and the lower end of the preform lower end are hardly shaken, and the drawing operation state is stable for a long time without drawing the fiber from the lower measuring instrument at the time of drawing. Could get. Further, in the formation of the quartz soot base material, the base material was not shaken, soot deposition was uniform, and uniform heat treatment was possible in the dehydration and vitrification processes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an example of a support device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is another example of the support device of the present invention.
3A and 3B are schematic views of a conventional example for supporting a base material, in which FIG. 3A is an overall schematic view, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view in a dotted circle A of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional example of a large base material support.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of the shaking of the base material, in which FIG. 5A is an overall schematic diagram, and FIGS. 5B to 5D are model diagrams of main parts thereof.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 pillar (tower)
2 Base material fixing part 3 Suspension support part 4 Quartz support 5 Base material (quartz soot base material or preform)
6 Elastic member 7 Press 8 Connecting pin 9 Process furnace

Claims (5)

母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部上面に付設された弾性部材に、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を押圧具で押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する方法。An optical fiber preform characterized in that a flat portion of a quartz support rod of an optical fiber preform is pressed and fixed to an elastic member attached to an upper surface of a suspension support provided in the preform fixing portion with a pressing tool. A method of fixing and supporting the base metal fixing part. 母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられた吊り下げ用支持部上面に、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を押圧具で押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する方法。The optical fiber preform is fixed to the upper surface of the suspension support portion provided on the base material fixing portion via an elastic member by pressing and fixing the flat portion of the quartz support rod of the optical fiber preform with a pressing tool. A method of fixing and supporting the material fixing portion. 母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部と、その吊り下げ用支持部上面に付設された弾性部材と、押圧具を有し、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を弾性部材に押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置。A suspension support portion provided on the base material fixing portion, an elastic member attached to the top surface of the suspension support portion, a pressing tool, and the flat portion of the quartz support rod of the optical fiber base material as an elastic member An apparatus for fixing and supporting an optical fiber base material to a base material fixing portion of a support column, characterized by pressing and fixing. 母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられた吊り下げ用支持部と、押圧具を有し、光ファイバー母材の石英支持棒の平面部を吊り下げ用支持部上面に押圧固定することを特徴とする光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置。A suspension support portion provided on the base material fixing portion via an elastic member, and a pressing tool, wherein the flat portion of the quartz support rod of the optical fiber preform is pressed and fixed to the upper surface of the suspension support portion. A device for fixing and supporting the optical fiber base material to the base material fixing portion of the support column. 母材固定部に設けられた吊り下げ用支持部は、母材固定部に弾性部材を介して設けられたものであることを特徴とする請求項３に記載の光ファイバー母材を支柱の母材固定部に固定支持する装置。The suspension support portion provided in the base material fixing portion is provided on the base material fixing portion via an elastic member, and the optical fiber base material according to claim 3 A device that fixes and supports the fixed part.
JP2002154658A 2002-05-28 2002-05-28 Method and apparatus for supporting optical fiber preform Expired - Fee Related JP4084087B2 (en)

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JP5697049B2 (en) * 2012-07-02 2015-04-08 古河電気工業株式会社 Device for gripping support rod for optical fiber preform and method for producing optical fiber preform
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