JPH06347675A - Production of optical cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the productivity of he multiple fiber optical cable by housing coated optical fibers within a group in positions different from a group assembling position on a traveling tension member. CONSTITUTION:Only the group 14 is first assembled in the position B on the tension member 16 continuously traveling in one direction. The coated fiber ribbons 12 are thereafter housed into the group 14 in the positions C, D different from the position B. The number of the assembling positions C, D of the coated fiber ribbons 12 is varied by the number of the coated fiber ribbons 12 housed within one piece of the group 14. A prescribed signal is sent from the position detecting sensor to a controller when the position of the grooves of the group 14 and the assembling position of the coated fiber ribbons 12 are not correctly aligned in the assembling positions C, D of the coated fiber ribbons 12. The controller aligns the assembling position of the coated fiber ribbons 12 to the group 14 by laterally moving an assembling head.

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 groove type optical fiber cable, and more particularly to improving the manufacturability of a multi-core optical cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a groove type optical cable 10 shown in FIG. 4 has been proposed to realize a high density multi-core optical cable. This is because the U-shaped groove 14 in which the optical fiber ribbons 12 are laminated is provided inside the central tension member 16
It is a structure that is twisted and gathered around the circumference of. Groove 14
The tape core wire 12 in the inside needs to have a shorter wire length in the lower layer and longer in the upper layer. In order to achieve such a state, the method of gathering the groove 14 and the tape core wire 12 at the same time is the simplest, and this method has been conventionally used.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a feeding-rolling rotary type gathering machine is used, the center tension member 16 is run from left to right in the figure, and the groove 14 is gathered on it ( 12) Tape core wire 12 at the same point at the same time)
Were also gathering. The state assumed to be cut at this gathering point A is schematically shown in FIG. However, the groove 14
Only one is shown. It can be seen from this figure that the grooves 14 are wound (twisted together) on the central tension member 16 and at the same time a plurality of tape cores 12 are laminated therein.

[0004]

As the number of cable cores increases, the number of grooves 14 and tape cores 12 increases. In the case of FIG. 6, only one groove 14 is shown, but in an ultra-multicore optical cable, the number of grooves arranged in one layer on the central tension member 16 is 10 to 20.
It also becomes. Further, the number of tape core wires 12 accommodated in each groove 14 also increases. Then, the number of the grooves 14 and the tape core wires 12 coming in from four sides aiming at the gathering point A becomes very large, and the area around A becomes very complicated and complicated. It is very difficult to assemble the groove 14 and the tape core wire 12 at the same time while arranging the complicated parts properly. Also, the manufacturing equipment becomes complicated. Therefore, there is a problem that a multi-core cable exceeding a certain limit cannot be manufactured.

[0005]

As illustrated in FIG. 1,
(1) Tension member 16 that continuously travels in one direction
At the beginning, only the groove 14 is gathered (position B), and (2)
After that, the optical fiber core wire 12 is housed in the groove 14 at positions C and D that are different from the gathering position B of the groove 14.

In the groove type optical cable, it is considered that the optical fiber core wire is mainly a tape-shaped one. Therefore, also in the following case, the case of the tape core wire will be described. Collecting positions C, D--
The number of −− is changed according to the number of tape core wires 12 accommodated in one groove 14.

If the positions of the grooves of the groove 14 are not correctly aligned at the gathering position of the tape core wires 12, the tape core wires 12 cannot be smoothly accommodated in the groove 14. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the position of the groove of the groove 14. For the detection of the groove of the groove 14, the technique conventionally used for the slot type optical cable (the slot groove is detected to accommodate the tape core wire) can be used as it is (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-238413). .

An example thereof will be briefly described. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 is a collective head of the tape core wires 12, and the position of which can be finely adjusted in the direction of arrow 22 by the controller 20. A sensor 24 detects the position of the groove of the groove 14. An enlarged view of FIG. 2 in the X direction is shown in FIG. However, only one groove 14 is shown. The position detection sensor 24 has a ring-shaped eye plate 26. The eye plate 26 is attached coaxially with the central tension member 16 and can rotate in the direction of arrow 28. Eye plate 2
The holder 30 is attached to 6, and the claw 32 is projected from the holder 30 inward. The claw 32 has, for example, a cylindrical shape and is 3
It is rotatable around 4. The claw 32 is kept in contact with one inner wall of the groove of the groove 14.

[0009] In the case of a delivery-winding rotary type gathering machine, the groove 14 appears to be stationary. When the position of the groove of the groove 14 and the collecting position of the tape core wire 12 are correctly aligned, neither the collecting head 18 nor the position detection sensor 24 moves, and the tape core wire is accommodated in the groove in that state. Is done smoothly. However, groove 1
If the position of 4 is slightly shifted to the left in FIG. 2, for example, the eye plate 26 is slightly rotated in the direction of arrow 36 in FIG.
Then, a signal proportional to the rotation amount is output to the controller 20.
Then, the controller 20 moves the collecting head 18 slightly to the left (FIG. 2) to align the collecting position of the tape core wire 12 with the groove 14. As a result, the tape core wires 12 are smoothly gathered in the groove 14.

[0010]

According to the method of the present invention, only the grooves are first gathered on the tension member continuously running in one direction, and thereafter, in the groove at a position different from the gathering position of the grooves. Since the optical fiber cores can be accommodated in the optical fiber cable, even if the number of cores of the optical fiber cable increases, the grouping of grooves and the grouping of optical fiber tapes are complicated and the assembly process is complicated, which makes manufacturing difficult. Not only is it possible to avoid this problem, but it is also extremely easy to start up during manufacturing. Further, since the manufacturing equipment is not enlarged and complicated control is not required, there are few equipment troubles during manufacturing. Therefore, it is possible to produce an ultra-multicore optical cable with stable quality, efficiently and inexpensively.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a method of aligning a gathering position of the tape core wire 12 and a groove position of the groove 14.

3 is an enlarged arrow view in the X direction of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a groove type optical fiber cable.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a conventional groove type cable manufacturing method.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a state where the groove 14 and the tape core wire 12 are gathered together in the conventional manufacturing method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Optical Fiber Cable 12 Optical Fiber Tape Core Wire 14 Groove 16 Center Tension Member 18 Tape Core Wire Collecting Head 20 Controller 24 Position Detection Sensor 26 Eye Plate 30 Holder 32 Claw

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A groove containing an optical fiber core wire,
When manufacturing an optical cable having a structure in which the tension members are twisted together and assembled, the tension members are continuously run in one direction, and
A method of manufacturing an optical cable, wherein only the grooves are first collected, and thereafter, the optical fiber core wires are accommodated in the grooves at a position different from the groove collecting position.