JPH1179771A - Shielding device for transportation of optical fiber preform and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress contamination and chemical reaction during the course of transfer in a production process as much as possible by using a shielding device provided with shielding mechanisms which enclose a soot preform, hold an atmosphere of inert gas and are freely openable and closable in a vertical direction and/or horizontal direction and means from and into which a chuck on a top end side is detachable and insertable. SOLUTION: The opening/closing members 11 of the first stage of the shielding mechanisms have front surfaces 11U of a sectorial shape and side wall surfaces 11S of an arc shape in section. Means which develop the opening/closing members of the respective stages downward and turn the opening/closing members of the respective stages in a circumferential direction are mounted at the front surfaces 11U existing in the outermost parts. The opening/ closing members 12 of the second stage and the opening/closing members 13 of the third stage are successively developed so as to be hung to the opening/closing members 11, 12 of the first stage and the second stage. A fitting insertion hole 4 allows the detachment and insertion of the means for hanging the top end side of the soot preform. The top end of a quartz rod 5A projecting outside is clamped by a chuck 7. The inert atmosphere is maintained in the internal space of the shielding mechanisms 1 by supplying the inert gas therein from an inert gas inflow hole 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like, which is used, for example, when transporting a soot preform to a dewatering / sintering step.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Known as a method of manufacturing an optical fiber, VA is well known.
In the method D, a step of depositing soot on a quartz rod to form a soot preform (porous base material), a step of heating and sintering the soot preform at a high temperature, and the same steps as necessary are performed. After that, an optical fiber is manufactured through a drawing process and the like.

In order to manufacture an optical fiber by this method, a dedicated apparatus is separately used in each step. For example, in a soot synthesis step, as shown in FIG.
The soot (glass soot material) is fed into the inside by a burner 101 and is deposited on a quartz rod 102 soot preform 1
The soot preform is heated and sintered at a high temperature using a heating furnace in the dehydration / sintering step.

When transferring the base material or the like to a dedicated device or furnace for each process, equipment such as a clean room is provided so that impurities do not enter the base material or the like during movement or transportation.
Manufacturing is often performed in a place where this clean indoor environment is maintained.

[0005]

However, even when moving in a clean place such as a clean room or the like, invisible microscopic scale dust or the like floats in the air. This may cause a problem in producing a good optical fiber.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention minimizes contamination and chemical reactions during transfer when detached from a dedicated device used in each optical fiber manufacturing process and transferred to another device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like that can be suppressed.

[0007]

That is, the invention according to claim 1 is a shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like used when the soot preform is transported to a dewatering / sintering step. A shielding mechanism surrounding the soot preform and capable of opening and closing vertically and / or horizontally to maintain an atmosphere of an inert gas, and a chuck at an upper end portion side of the soot preform can be removed. Means.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transport shielding device includes a shielding mechanism 1 and an operation means 2 for operating the shielding mechanism 1. Several opening / closing members (described later) having different (slidable) diameters of the shielding mechanism 1 are provided. A hollow cylinder is formed concentrically superimposed. Further, the developed cylindrical shielding device is configured so that an inert gas can be supplied from a supply source (not shown) through the communication pipe 3. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes a fitting hole formed when the shielding mechanism 1 is completely unfolded by operating the shielding mechanism 1, and a means for suspending the upper end of the soot preform 5 is removable. .

When the shielding mechanism 1 is closed, it is concentrically superimposed and folded compactly, and when expanded, a hollow cylindrical one is formed. That is, the shielding mechanism 1 is configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction in order to keep the soot preform 5 from the outside air and to maintain a predetermined inert gas atmosphere, and also to be able to open and close in the horizontal direction. I have. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter is formed of a drawer-like thin shutter having first to third opening / closing members 11 to 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first-stage opening / closing member 11 has a fan-shaped upper surface 11U and a side wall surface 11S having an arc-shaped cross section. On the outermost upper surface 11U, the upper portion of the operating means 2 for expanding the opening and closing members of each of these steps (first to third steps) downward and rotating the opening and closing members of each step sequentially in the circumferential direction is provided. It is attached. On the upper surface of the first-stage opening / closing member 11, an inert gas (for example, nitrogen N2 in this embodiment) is provided in an internal space formed by the shielding mechanism 1.
Gas) for supplying the gas) is opened,
The inert gas can be supplied from the supply source side through the communication pipe 3 connected to the inflow hole 10.

The second-stage opening / closing member 12 and the third-stage opening / closing member 13 are respectively hung on the side wall surface of the first-stage opening / closing member 11 and the second-stage side wall surface 12, respectively. And mounted so that they can be sequentially deployed in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the first to third opening / closing members 11 to 13 of this embodiment have a plurality (seven in this embodiment) of rotatable members within a specific angle range. The opening / closing member 1 of the final stage, that is, the third stage, which is composed of wall surfaces
3, the final side wall surface is pushed out by the operating means 2 and is rotated around approximately 360 degrees, so that all the side wall surfaces can be developed and opened. Although the side wall surface is drawn out in the circumferential direction after being pulled out downward, it goes without saying that the operation procedure may be reversed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the operating means 2 comprises first to third rods 21 to 23, which extend and contract in the form of a rod antenna, and are provided with a second stage opening / closing member 12 (third stage opening / closing member 13). The same applies to the final side surface portion of the connecting portion 20A (20
B) via the second stage rod 22 (third stage rod 2
3) is connected.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the fitting hole 4 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the first-stage opening / closing member 11, the upper end side of the quartz rod 5A protruding outward therefrom is formed. The soot preform 5 can be held together with the shielding mechanism 1 simply by being gripped by the chuck 7, and can be transported to a desired portion as it is.

If the soot preform 5 is taken into the shielding mechanism 1 and nitrogen gas is supplied inside,
Since the nitrogen gas is slightly lighter than the air, even if the bottom surface of the shielding mechanism 1 is open, the invasion of air from the outside can be prevented and the internal space can be completely filled with the nitrogen gas, which may have an adverse effect. There is no danger that some unnecessary gas will enter the interior.
In this embodiment, the gas supplied to the inside is nitrogen gas which is lighter than air, so there is no particular problem even if the bottom surface is opened. Is possible.

In this embodiment, the shielding means is operated by a manual operation. However, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the upper surface 6A and the upper surface 6B of a substantially semicircular shape are provided. An arc-shaped rack 61 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface 6A side, and a motor 63 having a pinion 62 engaged with the rack 61 is fixedly mounted on the other upper surface 6B. (It can be expanded and stored in a plurality of stages), and may be automatically expanded and opened in the circumferential direction.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the shielding mechanism is developed so that the internal space can be filled with the inert gas. When transported to another location after importing, it is possible to transport while maintaining the atmosphere of the inert gas even if the place in the middle of transport is not a clean atmosphere. It is possible to prevent quality deterioration due to chemical reaction, contamination, and the like, and it is possible to realize a transport (transfer) operation while maintaining a good atmosphere even in a particularly clean clean room.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a modification of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shielding mechanism 11, 12, 13 Opening / closing member 2 Operating means 3 Communication pipe 4 Fitting hole 5 Soot preform 10 Inflow hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like used when a soot preform (5) is transported to a dehydration / sintering step, wherein the soot preform (5) is enclosed. A shielding mechanism (1) that can be opened and closed vertically and / or horizontally to maintain an atmosphere of an inert gas, and a chuck (7) on the upper end side of the soot preform (5) that can be inserted and removed. A shielding device for transporting an optical fiber preform or the like, comprising: