JPS63163412A - Optical transmission hose - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the direct contact of a clad material and the external environment by providing a protective tube of a high airtightness at a prescribed interval on the outside periphery of the clad material, and also, enclosing a sealing material in a clearance between the opening circumferential edge part of the protective tube and the opening circumferential edge part of the clad material. CONSTITUTION:As for an optical transmission hose 1, the inside of a cylindrical clad material 2 is filled with a liquid core material 3 whose refractive index is higher than that of the clad material 2, a columnar window material 4 is inserted into one end part of the clad material 2, a protective tube 6 of a high airtightness is provided on the outside of the clad material, and the opening part of the protective tube end part is sealed with a sealing material 5. In such a way, the direct contact of the clad material and the external environment is prevented, therefore, the outflow of the liquid core material which has filled the inside of the clad material is prevented exactly, and the intrusion of the moisture content from the external environment can be obstructed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a solution-type optical transmission hose whose core material is a liquid. The present invention relates to an optical transmission hose that prevents moisture from entering from the environment and whose optical transmission function is not impaired over a long period of time.

A light transmission hose is usually a fibrous optical transmission medium consisting of a clad material and a core material that have different refractive indexes. Optical transmission is performed using total reflection at the interface between the core material and the material, and in recent years optical communication,
Optical sensors, image kites, decorative displays and automobiles, home appliances, optical equipment, medical equipment, outdoor signage,
It has permeated the industrial field and is used for a variety of purposes, including as a means of lighting at oil plants and other places.

As such optical transmission hoses, all-solid optical transmission hoses in which both the cladding material and core material are solid materials, such as quartz fiber, multicomponent glass fiber, and plastic fiber, are in practical use and are well known. Apart from this, gaseous Alternatively, optical transmission hoses using liquid core materials are also being considered.

Among these, optical transmission hoses that use a gaseous core material usually create a concentration difference by applying a temperature gradient to the gaseous core material sealed inside the cladding material, and utilize the refractive index difference corresponding to this concentration difference. An optical transmission hose using a liquid core material utilizes the difference in refractive index between a cylindrical cladding material and a liquid core material filled inside the tubular cladding material.

Here, the optical transmission hose using the liquid core material will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1). Figure 1) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing a conventional example of an optical transmission hose using a liquid core material. In the figure, 2 is a cladding material, the inside of which is filled with a liquid core material 3 having a higher refractive index than the cladding material 2, and the openings at both ends of the cladding material 2 are each closed by a window material 4. There is. This window material 4 not only seals the core material 3 but also performs optical functions such as guiding incident light and properly emitting light.

The above-mentioned conventional optical transmission hose using a liquid core material requires heat shrinkage treatment on both ends of the cladding material, tightening with a hose band, winding up with wire, and tightening via a sleeve, O-ring, packing, etc. In order to prevent the liquid core material from leaking, mechanical sealing is performed to maintain the bond between the cladding material 2 and the window material 4 in an extremely tight state. In the above-mentioned mechanical sealing method, over time, especially in a temperature environment exceeding 50° C., the liquid core material 3 gradually leaks from the gap created at the bonding surface between the cladding material 2 and the window material 4. In the worst case, the liquid core material 3 will flow out, and in the worst case, gas spaces such as air bubbles and gas pockets will be generated inside the cladding material, which will interfere with the optical transmission necessary for the optical transmission hose. This resulted in a significant loss of functionality.

On the other hand, as described later, the cladding material is made of resin, and it is difficult to completely eliminate moisture permeability by itself. For this reason, when used in a high temperature environment or in seawater, moisture enters the interior through the cladding material.

If the core material is highly compatible with moisture, the invading moisture will be integrated into the core material, causing little trouble; however, if the core material is incompatible, it will not be integrated into the core material. Forms scattering points inside. Therefore, the optical transmission function required for the optical transmission hose is significantly impaired.

Therefore, although the solution-type optical transmission hose is excellent as a means of transmitting a large amount of light at low cost due to its simple structure, as mentioned above, leakage of the liquid core material and moisture content from the external environment occur. There was a problem called intrusion, and a solution was needed to solve this problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an optical transmission hose using a liquid core material that reliably prevents leakage of the liquid core material and prevents moisture from entering from the external environment. An object of the present invention is to provide a solution type optical transmission hose whose optical transmission function is not impaired for a long period of time.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the solution type optical transmission hose of the present invention includes a liquid core material having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the cladding material inside the cylindrical cladding material. In the solution-type optical transmission hose, in which the cladding material is filled and the openings at both ends of the cladding material are provided with window materials to close the openings, highly airtight protective tubes are arranged at regular intervals around the outer periphery of the cladding material. This is an optical transmission hose that prevents direct contact between the cladding material and the external environment by enclosing a sealing material in the gap between the protective tube opening periphery and the cladding material opening periphery.

Furthermore, if necessary, place a container with good optical transparency outside the sealing material, and fill the gap between the cladding material and the protective tube with the same type of liquid as the liquid core material, hygroscopic liquid, or solid. This is what I did.

The solution-type optical transmission hose according to the present invention has a highly airtight protective tube provided outside the cladding material, and seals both end openings of the protective tube with a sealing material, so that the inside of the cladding material can be sealed. The filled liquid core material can be reliably prevented from flowing out, and moisture can be prevented from entering from the external environment, so that the optical transmission function can be maintained for a long period of time.

1 to 10 for typical embodiments of the present invention.
This will be explained with reference to the figures.

In the following embodiments, only the configuration on one end side of the cladding material will be described, and the configuration on the other end side will be omitted because it is the same as the configuration on the one end side.

FIG. 1 shows an optical transmission hose 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a liquid core material 3 having a higher refractive index than the cladding material 2 is disposed inside a cylindrical cladding material 2.
A cylindrical window material 4 is inserted into one end of the cladding material 2. However, in the present invention, a highly airtight protective tube 6 is disposed outside the cladding material. will be established. The opening at the end of the protection tube is sealed with a sealing material 5.

Although not shown, prior to sealing with the sealing material 5,
Mechanical fastening is performed on the end of the cladding material 4, such as heat shrinkage treatment, hose band fastening, winding with a wire wire, fixation with a shape memory alloy, tightening via a sleeve, O-ring, packing, etc. Implement as necessary. Further, in order to promote adhesion with the sealing material 5, the outer wall of the cladding material 2 or the inner wall of the protective tube 6 may be treated in advance, if necessary.

Cladding material 2) As for the properties of the liquid core material 3 and window material 4, those commonly used can be used.

In this case, the window material 4 arranged at the end of the cladding material 2 is
The light input section is provided with an input guidance function to make the incident light enter the core material 3 of the optical transmission hose at a certain angle, and the light emission section is provided with an input guidance function that allows the incident light to enter the core material 3 of the optical transmission hose at a certain angle. These devices are equipped with the output guidance functions necessary to accurately input optical signals or optical energy, and can be used to condense light, diffuse light, selectively transmit light in specific wavelength ranges, and absorb light as necessary. Lenses and optical filters for
, heat filters, etc. are provided, and the connection parts that connect the optical transmission hoses are made of a material with approximately the same refractive index as the core material 3, and with a high light transmittance, in order to prevent light loss. Efforts have been made to construct it from superior materials. Examples of materials forming the window material 4 include fused silica, borate glass, flint glass, crown glass, soda glass, chalcogenide glass, fluoride glass, lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, calcium fluoride, and fluoride glass. Barium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, thallium bromide, potassium iodide, KH2-5, KH2
-6, sapphire, crystal, magnesia, titania, alumina, silicon, germanium, polystyrene (including high impact), acrylonitrile styrene copolymer, ABS
, styrene maleic acid copolymer resin, methyl methacrylate styrene copolymer resin, styrene, maleic anhydride resin, methacrylic resin, cellulose acetate, polyester carbonate, polyester, polymethylpentene, polyarylate, polyether sulfone, polyether ether Ketone, polycarbonate, nylon,
Examples include polysulfone, and in addition to using the material alone, measures such as multilayering or surface treatment may be taken depending on the purpose of use and conditions (hereinafter, these materials will be referred to as A).

The main purpose of the protection tube 6 is to prevent moisture from the external environment from entering a portion of the liquid core, but it can also be used to prevent kinks caused by external injury or bending of the hose.

The protective tube has a multi-layered structure whose main components are one or more of metals, plastics, and fiber-reinforced plastics, as well as spiral springs, organic and inorganic fabrics, rubber, fiber-reinforced rubber, etc. Structurally, it is used as a straight pipe or a bellows pipe.

Examples of metals include aluminum, copper, zinc, bronze,
Examples include brass, SUS, iron, etc.

In addition, to explain the metal layer in more detail, the metal is tubular,
It is used in foil, thin, or plated form. Here, the term "plated" refers to, for example, a dry plated film on a polyester film surface by means such as vapor deposition or sputtering, or a wet plated film electrodeposited by means such as electrolytic plating.

Examples of plastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, halogenated polyethylene, polyacrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate copolymer, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer, ABS, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, and polymethacrylate. Methyl acid, cellulose acetate, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, ionomer, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, polymethylpentene, polyfluoroisopropyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyvinyl acetate, Polytetrafluoroethylene, polyacecool, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, polymonochlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, Examples include ethylene fluoride-vinylidene fluoride copolymer and vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (hereinafter referred to as substance group B).

In addition, the sealing material 5 is a curable resin (room temperature, heat, UV, anaerobic).
, thermoplastic resin, inorganic cement, organic-inorganic composite cement (including impregnated structure), fusible metal, etc.
In some cases, these may have a multi-layer structure.

Examples of curable resins include fluororesin, silicone, epoxy, phenol, urethane, diene,
Butyral type, formal type, polyester type, polyamide type, polyamide-imide type, cellulose type, polyimide type, polyolefin type, polyacrylate type, ionomer type, cyanoacrylate type, DAP resin type, melamine resin type, urea resin type, etc. (hereinafter these will be referred to as substance group C).

Examples of the thermoplastic resin include substance group B described above.

Examples of inorganic cements include silicates such as water-glass cement, phosphates such as calcium phosphate and aluminum phosphate, various inorganic sols such as silica sol, sulfates such as gypsum, and shellfish. Examples include carbonates. These inorganic cured bodies are impregnated with substance group C, if necessary.

Fusible alloy is an alloy that melts below the melting point of tin (232°C), and contains two or more constituent elements such as bismuth, tin, lead, cadmium, antimony, indium, copper, silver, and zinc.

In order to promote adhesion between the cladding material 2 and the sealing material 5, the outer surface of the cladding material 2 is subjected to mechanical roughening treatment, corona discharge treatment, plasma treatment, flame treatment, metallic sodium solution treatment, and silane coupling in advance. Perform chemical treatment, etc. as necessary.

It may also be necessary to promote adhesion between the protective tube 6 and the sealing material 5, and the same pretreatment as described above is performed on the inner wall of the protective tube 6.

2 to 10 show other embodiments of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the role of the sealing material in FIG.
Although it only seals the openings at both ends of the protective tube, and therefore has the effect of blocking moisture from the external environment, it is less effective in preventing liquid leakage from the gap between the cladding material 2 and the window material 4. The sealing material 5 has a structure that covers the end face of the window material 4.

Further, in FIG. 3, the sealing material 5 extends not only to the inside of the protective tube 6 but also to the outer periphery, and therefore, the adhesion between the sealing material and the protective tube is further strengthened.

In FIG. 4, a pot-shaped container 7 is further arranged in close contact with the sealing material 5, which further improves the effect of preventing liquid leakage from the gap between the cladding material 2 and the window material 4. In addition to the above-mentioned functions, the cup-shaped container can be added with a lens function, an optical filter function, a heat filter function, etc. Examples of materials for forming the pot-shaped container include the substance group A mentioned above.

In FIG. 5, a liquid 8 of the same type as the core material is filled in the gap between the cladding material 2 and the protective tube 6.

In the special combination of core material and cladding material,
The liquid core material diffuses through the cladding material, and after a long period of time, the core material sealed in the cladding material disappears, and in the worst case, an unfilled portion of the core material 3 inside the cladding material, i.e., air bubbles or gas pockets, etc. This results in a gas space of . By adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to prevent the core material from disappearing due to diffusion through the cladding material wall. Furthermore, a liquid, slurry or solid desiccant may be mixed into the liquid 8 if necessary.

As a desiccant, metal aluminum, metal calcium,
Calcium chloride, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate,
Examples include calcium sulfate, silica gel, alumina, calcium hydride, and calcium oxide. By incorporating a desiccant agent, it is possible to more effectively prevent moisture from entering from the external environment.

In FIG. 6, a liquid 8 of the same type as the core material is sealed in the bottom of a pot-shaped container 7. This is effective in preventing the liquid core material from leaking from the gap between the cladding material 2 and the window material 4.

In FIG. 7, a liquid 8 of the same type as the core material is sealed in the bottom of the cup-shaped container 7 and in the gap between the cladding material 2 and the protective tube 6. Strainer 9 may not be necessary in some cases, but
When a desiccant is mixed into the gap between the cladding material 2 and the protection tube 6, this is necessary to prevent the mixed desiccant from going around to the bottom of the pot-shaped container and impairing the light transmittance. Examples of the strainer include organic and inorganic porous materials, mesh-like materials, and fibrous materials.

Figure 8 shows the sealing material 5 by crimping both ends of the protective tube 6.
In this case, a rubber elastic body is used as the sealing material. For example, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, natural rubber, and SBR.

FPDM, butyl rubber, chlorobutyl rubber, EVA
, NBR, etc.

FIG. 9 shows a case in which the internal airtightness is further improved by welding, brazing, soldering, or melt sealing 10 the side wall 7-a of the pot-like container and the protective tube 6. .

In the case of integration by welding, brazing, or soldering,
The side wall portion 7-a of the pot-shaped container and the protection tube 6 are made of a metal material.

Since the bottom part '7-b of the pot-shaped container needs to be transparent,
For example, flint glass is used. Since the side wall portion 7-a and the bottom portion 7-b are made of different materials, they should be integrated in advance by a sealing process or the like.

A glass-shaped pot-shaped container 7 (in this case, 7-a and ?-b are integrated) is joined to the protective tube 6 by glass melt sealing 10,
A resin pot-shaped container 7 (in this case, 7-a and 7-b are integrated) is joined to the protective tube 6 by resin sealing 10. In this case, the sealing material 5 is not necessarily required.

In FIG. 10, a screw is provided on the outer periphery of the protective tube 6 near the open end. The side wall 7-a of the pot-shaped container is also threaded with the same screw, and when the two are combined, airtightness is achieved by an O-ring 1). The side wall portion 7-a and the bottom portion 7-b of the pot-shaped container 7 are made of the same material and are integrated, but if they are made of different materials, they are integrated by sealing treatment or the like in advance.

Although the above description describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the configuration of the present invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. obtain.

Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention will be specifically illustrated by experimental examples.

As shown in Figure 4, a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (refractive index η
, = 1.338) is filled with a dimethylsiloxane polymer from which volatile matter has been removed (core material 3), and then both ends of the tube are closed using quartz ronds (window material 4) with dimensions of 9φ x 3Qm. was sealed, and this part was further wound up with a wire strand (0.8φ).

After inserting it into a SUS flexible electric resistance welded tube (protective tube 6), it was fixed in a Pyrex container (cup-shaped container 7) as shown in the figure.

Separately, epoxy resin DEN 431 (Dow Chemical Company)
and DER, 732 (Dow Chemical Company) in a ratio of 50:30, and 10 Phr of triethylenetetramine as a catalyst.
was prepared and poured into a Pyrex container after defoaming. - The whole was left to solidify day and night at room temperature.

This hose was left in a heated oven at 65°C and 95% R and H for 100 hours, but no abnormality was observed.

For comparison, 65 pieces are just rolled up with wire.
℃, 95% R, H left open during heating,
After 30 hours, moisture enters from the external environment and the core part 3
became cloudy.

The optical transmission hose of the present invention has a cylindrical cladding material filled with a liquid core material having a higher refractive index than the cladding material,
In the solution type optical transmission hose formed by closing the openings at both ends of the cladding material and arranging a window material, a highly airtight protection tube is provided outside the cladding material, and the openings at both ends of the protection tube are sealed. If necessary, place a pot-like container with good optical transparency outside the sealing material, and if necessary, fill the gap between the cladding material and the protective tube with the same liquid core material. By filling the solution or a solution with a moisture absorbing material added thereto, leakage of the liquid core material is reliably prevented, and the intrusion of moisture from outside air or water is also prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 10 are partially omitted cross-sectional views showing only the main parts of embodiments of the present invention, and Fig. 1) is a partially omitted cross-sectional view of a conventional example. 1... Optical transmission hose, 2... Clad material, 3...
Core material, 4... Window material, 5... Sealing material, 6... Protection tube, 7... Cup-shaped container. Agent Patent Attorney 1) Osamu Umi Figure 10 Figure 1)

Claims (8)

[Claims] (1) A liquid core material having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the cladding material is filled inside the cylindrical cladding material, and a window material is provided at each end opening of the cladding material to close the opening. In a blocked solution-type optical transmission hose, a highly airtight protective tube is placed at a certain interval around the outer circumference of the cladding material, and the gap between the protective tube opening periphery and the cladding material opening periphery is sealed. An optical transmission hose that prevents direct contact between the cladding material and the external environment by enclosing the material. (2) The optical transmission hose according to claim (1), wherein the sealing material further directly seals the opening of the protective tube including the cladding opening. (3) The optical transmission hose according to claim (2), wherein a sealing material is further provided on the outer side of the opening periphery of the protective tube. (4) In the optical transmission hose according to claim (1), a sealing material is further provided outside the peripheral edge of the protection tube opening, and both the outside of the sealing material and the outside of the sealing material of the protection tube opening are transparent. A light transmission hose equipped with a cup-shaped container that has good properties. (5) The optical transmission hose according to claim (3), in which a cup-shaped container with good optical transparency is disposed over the entire outer surface of the sealing material. (6) The optical transmission hose according to claim (5), in which the same type of liquid as the core material is filled between the cladding material and the protective tube. (7) The optical transmission hose according to claim (6), wherein the liquid is a hygroscopic liquid or a solid. (8) The optical transmission hose according to claim (4), wherein the inner bottom surface of the cup is filled with the same type of liquid as the core material.