JPS6234107A - Production of optical transmission string - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To emit soft and uniform light by twisting or intertwining many plastic optical fibers and passing the resulting string through an atmosphere at a temp. above the thermal deformation temp. of the fibers to heat set the string. CONSTITUTION:Acrylic optical fibers each consisting of a polymethyl methacrylate core and a sheath of a polymer contg. fluorine or polystyrene-base optical fibers each consisting of a polystyrene core and a polymethyl methacrylate sheath are advantageously used. The diameter of the fibers is regulated to about 0.05-10mm. For example, three bundles each consisting of 80 optical fibers are Z-twisted 25 times per 1m in one direction, further twisted 15 times per 1m in the reverse direction, and passed through an atmosphere at about 80-100 deg.C. By this method, an optical transmission string emitting soft and uniform light from the outside and having high stability is obtd.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a method for producing a light-transmitting string-like material used for decoration, display, guidance for dangerous areas, and the like.

[Conventional technology]

A fiber product that provides light leakage portions on the longitudinal sides of optical fibers to emit light is already known from Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-42534.

The threads, ropes, fabrics, etc. proposed here are designed to emit light by providing light leakage parts in the circumferential direction, and those in which internal reflection destruction parts are mainly formed around optical fibers are disclosed. When such a destroyed portion is formed, a portion close to the light source becomes locally bright, making it difficult to obtain uniform brightness over a sufficiently long distance in the length direction. The above proposal also discloses a product that is twisted like a rope and leaks light, but does not mention a specific manufacturing method.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Among such luminescent fiber products, the present invention aims to efficiently produce a light-transmitting string-like material that emits soft light from the surrounding direction over a long period of time.

[Means for solving problems]

In other words, the gist of the present invention is to twist or braid a large number of plastic light guide strips to form a string-like object, and to continuously pass this through an atmosphere at a temperature higher than the heat deformation temperature of the light guide strips. A method for producing a light-transmitting string-like material, characterized by heat-setting the light-transmitting string-like material.

The present invention will be described below with reference to drawings of embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of the equipment for carrying out the manufacturing method of the present invention, and in the figure 0A)t(IB)? (2A), (2B) with a large number of (IC) in each case? (2
C) is a plastic light guiding filament wound around the plastic light guiding filament, and in this example, it is composed of three filaments to finally obtain a lobe-like string. And the above bobbin (2A)l (2B),
(2C) are bobbin stands (3A)j (3B), respectively.
(3C) is fixed to the turntable (6), and is guided by guides (4A) + (4B) and (4C) to be fed out. Also (5)
is a separate guide consisting of three light guide lines (IA), (IB
).

Directly above this guide (5) is a heater, guide (9), and traverse guide (IC).
10) is installed, and a winding bobbin (12) is installed directly above this. Note that (7) in the figure is a drive mechanism for the turntable (6), and (11) is a drive motor for the winding ribbon bobbin (12).

In order to manufacture the string-like article of the present invention using the illustrated equipment, as shown in the figure, bobbins (2A), (2B), (2C) are prepared.
Light guide strips (IA), (IB), (IC) wrapped around
is mounted on a turntable (6), and the three strands are combined and twisted while rotating and twisting. Subsequently, this is wound onto a winding bobbin (12), and during this time, it is continuously passed through a heater (8) heated to create an atmosphere above the thermal deformation temperature of the light guide line to heat set it.

As a result, it is possible to continuously and efficiently manufacture a lobe-like string-like material having a predetermined number of twists, and which faintly leaks light from the outer periphery.

The light guiding line used in the present invention may be made of plastic optical fiber such as an acrylic optical fiber having a polymethyl methacrylate core and a fluorine polymer sheath, or a styrene optical fiber having a polystyrene core and a polymethyl methacrylate sheath. are advantageous, but these transparent plastic wires may also be used, and their thickness may be as low as 0.
Appropriately selected from 05 to 10 dragons.

In addition, when making a string-like object, although the above example uses twisting, it may also be braided to form a so-called braided cord, and the configuration of the number and thickness of the finished string-like object can be selected depending on the purpose. be able to.

The heat setting applied to the above-mentioned string-like material is to stabilize the bending and twisting of the light guide line due to twisting or braiding.
This is carried out by passing the light guide line through an atmosphere having a temperature higher than its thermal deformation temperature. By the way, the above acrylic light 7
When an eyeper is used, the temperature may be about 80 to 120'C. Note that the heat source at this time is not limited to dry heat, but may be moist heat.

〔Example〕

The light transmitting string-like material of the present invention was manufactured using the manufacturing equipment shown in FIG.

In other words, acrylic optical fibers with a diameter of 0.5 mx made of polymethyl methacrylate plastic as a core material and polyvinylidene fluoride plastic as a sheath material were used, and 2 twists per 1 m were applied to each of 3 bundles of 80 pieces. 25
15 times per meter, and then twist the whole thing in the opposite direction to 15
Added times. Subsequently, it was passed through a heater at an ambient temperature of 100° C. to perform heat setting, thereby producing a light-transmitting string-like material.

From one end of the light transmitting string thus obtained,
Table 1 shows the results of measuring the brightness of the light emitted from the side surface of the string-like object by introducing and guiding light from a light source consisting of a Watts halogen lamp.

Table 1 As can be seen from the above table, the light transmitting string material obtained by the present invention emits soft and highly uniform light from the outer periphery.
Moreover, it was excellent in stability.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention has the structure as described in detail above, it has the advantage of being able to efficiently manufacture a light-transmitting string-like material that can emit soft and uniform light. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of equipment showing an example of implementing the method of the present invention. (tA)t (IB), (IC)...Light guiding stripe (2A)? (2B), (2C)...Bobbin (
3A)? (3B)? (3C)...Bobbin stand (
4A)+ (4B)l (4C)+ (5)・・・・・・
Guide (6)...Turntable collection/[21

Claims (1)

[Claims] A light characterized by twisting or braiding a large number of plastic light-guiding stripes to form a string-like object, which is heat-set by continuously passing through an atmosphere at a temperature higher than the thermal deformation temperature of the light-guiding strips. A method for manufacturing a transmission string.