JPH06239642A - Production of bundle-type optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To solve the problem that optical fibers of a bundle type prepared by a conventional method have many lines of optical fiber oriented uniformly on both fiber ends and the out-going rays have the same intensity distribution as that of the incoming rays. CONSTITUTION:When the parent material 10 is drawn into a line of optical fiber, the winding up bobbin 20 is rotated around the axis line of optical fiber filament 12. Thus, the filament gets a twisting tendency and becomes spiral, when it is cut into a certain length as shown in (b). When a plurality of such lines 12 are collected into a bundle, the orientation on the incoming side is randomized on the out-going side. In addition, the same effect can be obtained by (1) rotating the parent material around its axis line, (2) rotating the fiber line 12 before it is wound up, or (3) winding up the line 12 after it is wound around a tapered roller.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bundle type optical fiber used for guiding illumination light,
In particular, the aim is to improve the dispersibility of the amount of light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A bundle type optical fiber is generally manufactured as follows. Drawing an optical fiber preform having a core and a clad,
The optical fiber is coated with a coating. This optical fiber elemental wire is cut into a regular length, and a large number of the cut optical fiber elemental wires are collected and packed in a plastic tube or the like to form a bundle type optical fiber.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When the above method is used,
When collecting a large number of optical fiber strands, there is a tendency that the arrays of the individual optical fiber strands are aligned at both ends,
There is a problem that the incident light intensity distribution is emitted as it is. Therefore, it has been required to disturb the arrangement of the optical fiber strands.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problem 1] As shown in FIG.
When the optical fiber element wire 12 obtained by drawing the optical fiber preform 10 is wound on the bobbin 20, the winding bobbin 2
0 is rotated about the optical fiber strand 12 that enters the bobbin as an axis. The rotation of the winding bobbin 20 is 1
The directions may be alternate or alternating. Reference numeral 22 in FIG. 1 is a coating portion.

[0005]

When the optical fiber element wire 12 is wound around the bobbin 20, the take-up bobbin 20 is rotated around the optical fiber element wire 12 that enters the bobbin as an axis. There is a twisting habit. As a result, due to the rigidity of the optical fiber element wire 12, the optical fiber element wire 12 cut into a regular length becomes a spiral shape as shown in FIG. When a large number of the optical fiber wires 12 thus configured are housed in a plastic tube 24 and bundled as shown in FIG. 7C, the optical fiber wires 12 are arranged on the incident side and the emitting side. Becomes disjointed and unrelated.

[0006]

As shown in FIG. 2, when the optical fiber preform 10 is drawn, the optical fiber preform 10 is rotated around its axis 100. The optical fiber preform 10 may be rotated in one direction or alternately.

[0007]

When the optical fiber preform 10 is rotated around its axis 100 when the optical fiber preform 10 is drawn, the optical fiber strand 1 is rotated in the same manner as in the above case.
Twisting habit enters into 2. Therefore, when bundled, as in the case of FIG. 1, the arrangement on the incident side and the arrangement on the emitting side of the optical fiber wires 12 are irrelevant.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 3, before winding the optical fiber wire 12 around the bobbin 20, the optical fiber wire 12 is rotated around its axis. In order to give rotation to the optical fiber strand 12, for example, a conventionally known caterpillar 26 is used, and the optical fiber strand 12 is rotated together with the caterpillar 26 to give a twist. The optical fiber strand 1
The two rotations may be in one direction or alternating.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problem] When the optical fiber wire 12 is rotated around its axis before the optical fiber wire 12 is wound on the bobbin 20, the optical fiber wire is rotated as in the case of FIG. Twist habit enters 12. Therefore, when bundled, the array on the incident side and the array on the output side of the optical fiber strands 12 become irrelevant.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems As shown in FIG. 4, when the optical fiber preform 10 is drawn, the optical fiber strand 12 is drawn.
Is wound around the taper roller 28 and then wound around the bobbin 20. The angle α between the optical fiber element wire 12 entering the taper roller 28 and the optical fiber element wire 12 leaving the taper roller 28 is preferably about 90 °.

[0011]

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), when the optical fiber element wire 12 runs while being wound around the taper roller 28, the optical fiber element wire 12 moves to the long diameter side of the taper roller 28. At that time, the optical fiber strand 12 is rotated. When the optical fiber element wire 12 moves to an appropriate position on the major axis side, it is returned to the minor axis side in a state where the optical axis is rotated, due to its own tension. Repeat this. Therefore, as in the case of each of the above drawings, the optical fiber strand 12 has a twisting tendency. Therefore, when bundled, the array on the incident side and the array on the output side of the optical fiber element wires 12 are
Get irrelevant.

[0012]

Example 1 A Ge-doped silica optical fiber preform 10 was manufactured in the core by the VAD method. The relative refractive index difference between the core and the clad was 1%, the outer diameter was 30 mm, and the length was 500 mm. 30 this
The optical fiber wire 12 having an outer diameter of 125 μm was drawn at a speed of m / min. The core diameter was 100 μm. Subsequently, a UV curable resin was coated to adjust the outer diameter to 150 μm, and the wound bobbin 20 was wound. At this time, the winding bobbin 20
Was rotated at 30 rpm. This optical fiber element wire 12 was cut into a length of 1 m, 1000 pieces were collected and packed in a silicone tube to form a bundle type optical fiber. The arrangement of the optical fiber strands 12 of this bundle type optical fiber was almost different on the incident side and the emitting side.

[0013]

Example 2 A Ge-doped quartz optical fiber preform 10 was manufactured in the core by the VAD method. The relative refractive index difference between the core and the clad was 1%, the outer diameter was 30 mm, and the length was 500 mm. 30 this
The optical fiber wire 12 having an outer diameter of 125 μm was drawn at a speed of m / min. The core diameter was 100 μm. At this time, the optical fiber preform 10 was rotated 360 ° at a speed of 30 rpm, and then the optical fiber preform 10 was rotated 360 ° at the same speed in the opposite direction to perform drawing. Subsequently, an ultraviolet curable resin was coated to adjust the outer diameter to 150 μm. This optical fiber element wire 12 was cut into a length of 1 m, 1000 pieces were collected and packed in a silicone tube to form a bundle type optical fiber. The arrangement of the optical fiber strands 12 of this bundle type optical fiber was almost different on the incident side and the emitting side.

[0014]

Example 3 A Ge-doped silica optical fiber preform 10 was manufactured in the core by the VAD method. The relative refractive index difference between the core and the clad was 1%, the outer diameter was 30 mm, and the length was 500 mm. 30 this
The optical fiber wire 12 having an outer diameter of 125 μm was drawn at a speed of m / min. The core diameter was 100 μm. Subsequently, a UV curable resin was coated to adjust the outer diameter to 150 μm, and the wound bobbin 20 was wound. At this time, a caterpillar 26 was provided between the drawing portion and the winding bobbin 20, and the optical fiber element wire 12 was rotated at a speed of 40 rpm. This optical fiber element wire 12 was cut into a length of 1 m, 1000 pieces were collected and packed in a silicone tube to form a bundle type optical fiber. The arrangement of the optical fiber strands 12 of this bundle type optical fiber was almost different on the incident side and the emitting side.

[0015]

Example 4 A Ge-doped silica optical fiber preform 10 was manufactured in the core by the VAD method. The relative refractive index difference between the core and the clad was 1%, the outer diameter was 30 mm, and the length was 500 mm. 30 this
The optical fiber wire 12 having an outer diameter of 125 μm was drawn at a speed of m / min. The core diameter was 100 μm. Subsequently, a UV curable resin was coated to adjust the outer diameter to 150 μm, and the wound bobbin 20 was wound. At this time, a taper roller 28 having a short diameter of 20 mm and a long diameter of 25 mm was provided between the drawing portion and the winding bobbin 20 (FIG. 4), and the optical fiber element wire 12 was passed through so that the angle α was 90 °. By the way, optical fiber strand 1
Rotation occurred at 1.5 m pitch on 2. This optical fiber strand 1
2 was cut into a length of 1 m, 1000 pieces were collected and packed in a silicone tube to form a bundle type optical fiber. The arrangement of the optical fiber strands 12 of this bundle type optical fiber is
The incident side and the outgoing side were almost disjointed.

[0016]

When the optical fiber preform is drawn, the take-up bobbin is rotated around the optical fiber element wire entering the bobbin as an axis, or the optical fiber preform is moved around the axis. Before rotating or winding on the bobbin, the optical fiber strand is rotated around its axis, or the optical fiber strand is wound on a taper roller and then wound on the bobbin. Therefore, the optical fiber strand 12 has a twisting tendency. Therefore, as described above, the optical fiber element wire 12 cut into a regular length has a spiral shape. Therefore, when a large number of the optical fiber strands 12 thus configured are collected and bundled, the array on the incident side and the array on the exit side of the optical fiber strands 12 are disjoint and unrelated.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams related to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a manufacturing method, FIG. 1B shows a single optical fiber element wire 12 cut to a fixed length, and FIG. Are shown as models.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 optical fiber base material 12 optical fiber element wire 20 winding bobbin 22 coating part 24 plastic tube 26 caterpillar 28 taper roller

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Kazuo Sanada 1440 Rokuzaki, Sakura City, Chiba Fujikura Ltd. Sakura Factory

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber element wire obtained by drawing an optical fiber preform is wound around a bobbin, the optical fiber element wire is cut to a predetermined length, and a large number of the cut optical fiber element wires are collected, A method of manufacturing a bundle type optical fiber, which comprises drawing the optical fiber preform while rotating the take-up bobbin around an optical fiber element wire that enters the bobbin when manufacturing the bundle type optical fiber. 2. An optical fiber base material is drawn to form an optical fiber elemental wire, the optical fiber elemental wire is cut into a regular length, and a large number of the optical fiber elemental wires cut into the regular length are collected to form a bundle type optical fiber. A method for manufacturing a bundle-type optical fiber, which comprises drawing the optical fiber preform while rotating the optical fiber preform around its axis when manufacturing the fiber. 3. An optical fiber elemental wire obtained by drawing an optical fiber preform is wound around a bobbin, the optical fiber elemental wire is cut to a standard length, and a large number of the cut optical fiber elemental wires are collected, A method for manufacturing a bundle type optical fiber, wherein, when the bundle type optical fiber is manufactured, the optical fiber preform is drawn while being wound around the axis of the optical fiber before being wound on the bobbin. 4. An optical fiber elemental wire obtained by drawing an optical fiber preform is wound around a bobbin, the optical fiber elemental wire is cut into a regular length, and a large number of the cut optical fiber elemental wires are collected, When manufacturing a bundle type optical fiber, when the optical fiber preform is drawn, the optical fiber element wire is wound around a taper roller and then wound around the bobbin. Method.