JPS6120011A - Manufacture of optical tape type unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the manufacture cost and make a protection layer thin by holding an optical fiber assembly between a rotary roll and a presser jig while arranging plural optical fiber element wires on the same plane in parallel and forming the optical fiber assembly, and coating the surface with supplied liquid ultraviolet-ray setting resin in one body. CONSTITUTION:Optical fiber element wires 3 having at least one coating layer 2 made of, for example, ultraviolet-ray setting resin, etc., around an optical fiber 1 are supplied from bobbins 11, 11... and arranged by an arraying device 12 on the same plane in parallel. The arraying device 12 arrays the optical fiber element wires 3, 3... to form the optical fiber assembly, part of which is dipped in a liquid tank 14 which supplies liquid ultraviolet-ray setting resin 12 to stick the liquid ultraviolet-ray setting resin 13 on the surface, thereby coating the optical fiber assembly with the resin 13 in one body while holding the assembly between the rotary roll 15 supplied with the resin and the presser jig 16 which clamps the optical fiber assembly. Then, the liquid ultraviolet-ray setting resin 13 applied to the optical fiber assembly is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in a ultraviolet-ray setting furnace 17, thereby setting the resin.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an optical tape type in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in parallel in a plane and are integrally coated with a protective layer made of an ultraviolet curable resin. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a unit.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, an optical tape type unit as shown in FIG. 4 has been devised, and studies are underway to convert it into a cable. In this method, a plurality of optical fibers 3 each having a coating layer 2 made of silicone provided around the optical fiber 1 are arranged in parallel in a plane to form an optical fiber assembly, and are integrated into the optical fiber assembly. It is coated with a protective layer 4 made of nylon. When multiple optical tape units made in this way are stacked together to form a cable, a cable with the same outer diameter will have more optical fibers than a cable made by stacking multiple round optical units, which is a common shape. Can store 3 strands of wire. Therefore, it is expected to be used as an optical unit for future optical fiber subscriber cables. By the way, when used as an optical unit for optical fiber subscriber cables, cost reduction is also an important issue. However, in the above-mentioned case where the protective layer 4 is made of nylon, the protective layer 4 is coated by an extrusion coating method using an extrusion coating machine, but in this method, the extrusion line speed is not too high. Can not. The reason for this is, as mentioned above, that the thickness of the protective layer 4 must be made as thin as possible in order to increase the storage rate of the optical tape type unit in the cable. The thin protective layer 4 may break at some places.

On the other hand, if it is made thicker, the cable accommodating rate decreases and it becomes meaningless as an optical unit for optical fiber subscriber cables. Therefore, various studies have been made regarding the material of the protective layer 4 of the optical tape type unit and the method of covering it.

Up to now, it has been proposed to use an ultraviolet curable resin with a fast curing speed as the material for the protective layer 4, and this is effective in terms of reducing manufacturing costs.

However, the coating method has not yet been established.

[Purpose of the invention]

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical tape type unit in which the protective layer formed by coating the aggregate of optical fiber strands is made of an ultraviolet curable resin, and to reduce the manufacturing cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit that can also reduce the thickness of the protective layer.

[Structure of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit of the present invention includes forming an optical fiber assembly by arranging a plurality of optical fiber strands parallel to each other in a plane, and then using a rotating roll and the above-mentioned optical tape type unit together with the rotating roll. The liquid ultraviolet curable resin supplied to the surface of the rotating roll is integrally applied to the optical fiber assembly using a holding jig that sandwiches the optical fiber assembly, and then applied to the optical fiber assembly. This method is characterized in that the liquid ultraviolet curable resin obtained is cured by ultraviolet irradiation.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus related to the method of manufacturing an optical tape type unit of the present invention. As shown in this figure, in the present invention, first, an optical fiber 3 having at least one coating layer 2 made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin is placed around the optical fiber 1.
We will supply multiple pieces. These plurality of optical fiber strands 3.3 are arranged in parallel in a plane by the alignment device 12. As the alignment device 12, for example, a device in which small guide rolls are arranged horizontally in a line at regular intervals is used.

Aligning the optical fiber strands 3.3- with the alignment device 12,
Once the optical fiber assembly is formed, a part of it is buried in a liquid tank 14 that supplies liquid ultraviolet curable resin 13, and the liquid ultraviolet curable resin 13 adheres to its surface. Rotating roll 1 to which the resin is supplied
5 and a pressing jig 16 that sandwiches the optical fiber assembly together with the rotating roll 15, integrally applying the liquid ultraviolet curable resin 13 supplied to the surface of the rotating roll 15 to the optical fiber assembly. Then, the liquid ultraviolet curable resin 13 applied to the optical fiber assembly is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in an ultraviolet curing furnace 17 to be cured. Of course, after this, it is taken off by a take-up machine (not shown) or wound up by a winding machine. As shown in FIG. 2, if the rotary roll 15 is provided with grooves 19 on its surface in which the plurality of optical fibers 3.3 m-- are housed, The cross-sectional shape of the optical tape type unit can be substantially defined.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, if a blade 20 is provided so as to face the rotating roll 15, the blade 20 and the rotating roll 15
It is convenient to be able to adjust the amount of liquid ultraviolet curable resin 13 that is supplied from the liquid tank 14 and adheres to the surface of the rotating roll 15 by simply adjusting the gap between the two. Furthermore, it is preferable to drive this rotating roll 15 using a drive source such as a motor because no frictional force is applied to the optical fiber strand 3.3. Further, as shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, it may be a flat plate. As described above, according to the method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit of the present invention, the protective layer formed by coating an aggregate of optical fiber wires is in the optical tape type unit made of an ultraviolet curable resin, and the protective layer In addition to using an ultraviolet curable resin with a fast curing speed, the coating method uses a coating method in which the ultraviolet curable resin is applied in liquid form to the aggregate of the optical fibers, so the coating thickness is thin ( However, unlike the conventional extrusion coating method, problems such as sheath breakage do not occur, and from this point of view as well, the manufacturing line speed can be significantly increased.Thus, the optical tape type unit can be made thinner and cheaper. In addition, since the coating thickness is thin, even if this optical tape type unit is exposed to low temperatures, the stress generated due to the shrinkage of the protective layer is small. Microhends are less likely to occur in the strands, and therefore, the increase in transmission 111 loss is negligible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the protective layer coated on the aggregate of optical fibers is in the optical tape type unit made of ultraviolet curable resin, and the manufacturing speed can be significantly increased. Therefore, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit, which can reduce manufacturing costs and further reduce the thickness of the protective layer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an apparatus related to the method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment of the resin-coated part related to FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing another example of the resin-coated portion, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the optical tape type unit. 3-Optical fiber wire 4 Protective layer 12 Aligning device 13-Liquid purple 1-line curing 1-1 Resin 14
Liquid tank 15 Single rotation roll 16 Pressing jig 17 - Ultraviolet curing furnace 19 - Groove 20 -
= blade

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) While forming an optical fiber assembly by arranging a plurality of optical fiber strands in parallel in a plane, the surface of the rotating roll is formed by a rotating roll and a holding jig that holds the optical fiber assembly together with the rotating roll. A liquid ultraviolet curable resin supplied to the optical fiber assembly is integrally applied to the optical fiber assembly, and then the liquid ultraviolet curable resin applied to the optical fiber assembly is cured by ultraviolet irradiation. A method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit. (2) The surface of the rotating roll is provided with a groove in which the plurality of optical fibers are housed, and the groove substantially defines the cross-sectional shape of the optical tape type unit. A method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit according to scope 1. (3) The amount of liquid ultraviolet curable resin supplied to the surface of the rotating roll is adjusted by a blade provided to face the rotating roll. Method for manufacturing the optical tape type unit described in section (4) A method for manufacturing an optical tape type unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that the rotating roll is driven.