JP4003781B2 - Manufacturing method of slot rod for optical cable - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable provided with a slot groove for storing a plurality of optical fibers whose knitting directions are periodically reversed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a general slot rod for an SZ type optical cable. In the figure, 10 is a tension member, 11 is a spacer, 12 is a slot groove, and 20 is an SZ type optical cable. Slot rod (hereinafter simply referred to as SZ slot). The SZ slot 20 includes a tensile body 10 made of a steel wire, a steel stranded wire, an FRP wire, or the like, and a spacer 11 made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene. The spacer 11 is formed by extrusion-coating a thermoplastic resin around the tensile strength body 10. The spacer 11 is formed with a slot groove 12 for accommodating the optical fiber core wire.
The optical fiber core accommodated in one slot groove 12 is an optical fiber tape formed by covering a plurality of optical fiber strands in parallel, or a plurality of optical fiber strands or a single-core optical fiber. A core wire is applied, and the shape of the slot groove 12 is designed according to the shape of the optical fiber core to be accommodated.

  The SZ slot 20 is formed so that the slot grooves 12 advance in the axial direction while alternately reversing, so that the workability is improved when the optical fiber core accommodated in the slot grooves 12 is subjected to intermediate post branching. It has the feature that it is excellent in. For example, in an optical cable using the SZ slot 20, an arbitrary optical fiber core wire can be taken out without completely peeling off the covering member in the circumferential direction. At this time, an extra length can be given to the inside of the slot groove 12 by twisting of the optical fiber core, and when performing the intermediate post-branch, an optical fiber core wire having an appropriate extraction length can be obtained by the extra length. As a result, branching work is facilitated.

  The slot groove 12 is composed of two types of segments in which the groove traveling direction differs in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the SZ slot 20. This segment is formed by the shape of a so-called S-shaped S-twisted portion (S) and a Z-shaped Z-twisted portion (Z), and these S-twisted portions and Z-twisted portions are alternately arranged. 1 has a reversing portion R where the traveling direction of the slot groove is reversed.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of an SZ slot manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the SZ slot 20 described above. In FIG. 8, 30 is an SZ slot manufacturing device, 31 is a tensile strength supply, 32 is a feeding device, 33 is a rotary crosshead, 34 is a take-up device, 35 is a slot winder, 36 is an accumulator, 36a is a fixed roller group. , 36b is a movable roller group, 37 is a horizontal roller, 38 is a free roller, and 39 is a die mask.

  In the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus 30, a tensile body supply 31 that supplies the tensile body 10 is disposed on the upstream side of the line (the right side in FIG. 8). A feeding device 32, a rotary crosshead 33, and a take-up device 34 are sequentially arranged on the downstream side of the strength body supply 31. A predetermined tension is applied to the tensile body 10 by the feeding device 32 and the take-up device 34, and the thermoplastic resin is extrusion coated by the rotary cross head 33 on the tensile body 10, and the spacer 11 is provided around the tensile body 10. Are integrally formed.

  An accumulator 36 is provided between the take-up device 34 and a slot winder 35 that winds up the SZ slot 20. The accumulator 36 temporarily stores the SZ slot 20 so that the SZ slot 20 can be supplied to the slot winder 35 and the winding operation can be performed without stopping the extrusion of the thermoplastic resin in the rotary crosshead 33. It has a function to wire.

  Further, the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus 30 is provided with a lateral roller 37 for supplying the SZ slot 20 fed from the take-up apparatus 34 to the accumulator 36, and further supplies the SZ slot 20 fed from the accumulator 36 to the slot winder 35. A free roller 38 is provided. In addition, a die mask 39 for monitoring the origin is provided in front of the slot winder 35.

  The accumulator 36 is provided with a fixed roller group 36a and a movable roller group 36b. The movable roller group 36b is installed so as to be able to approach / separate the fixed roller group 36a. The distance between the roller groups 36a and 36b depends on the relative difference between the winding speed of the SZ slot 20 by the slot winder 35 and the supply speed of the SZ slot 20 supplied from the take-up device 34. The approach and separation are repeated.

  That is, when the winding speed by the slot winder 35 becomes relatively small, the movable roller group 36b is separated from the fixed roller group 36a, and the SZ slot 20 is stored between the roller groups 36a and 36b. To line. On the other hand, when the supply speed from the take-up device 34 is smaller than the winding speed of the slot winder 35, the movable side roller group 36b approaches the fixed side roller group 36a, and between the two roller groups 36a, 36b. The SZ slot 20 stored in is wound by the slot winder 35.

In the process of manufacturing the SZ slot as described above, the twist of the SZ slot that occurs in the manufacturing apparatus becomes a problem.
9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the accumulator 36. FIG. 9A is a schematic top view of the accumulator, and FIG. 9B is a schematic side view of the accumulator. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the principle that the SZ slot 20 causes a unidirectional twist.

  Each roller group 36a, 36b of the accumulator 36 is composed of multi-stage rollers 41 that are individually rotatable in order to store the SZ slot 20. As shown in FIG. 10, each roller 41 is offset so as to be multistaged so that the SZ slot 20 does not interfere inside the accumulator 36.

  For this reason, the SZ slot 20 has a rushing action as shown in FIG. In this case, when the two roller groups 36a and 36b are close to each other and the distance between the two roller groups 36a and 36b is short, the rotational action due to the running up is suppressed by the rigidity of the SZ slot 20. However, when the two roller groups 36a and 36b are separated and the distance between the roller groups 36a and 36b becomes long, the force to rotate the SZ slot 20 wins and the SZ slot 20 is twisted and twisted. It is wound up as it is.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of an SZ aggregation device by a phase locking method for accommodating an optical fiber core wire in a slot groove. In FIG. 11, 50 is an SZ gathering machine, 51 is an SZ slot supply, 52 is a die plate, 53 is a winder, 54 is a brake device, 55 is a take-up device, 56 is an optical fiber supply, 57 is a coarse winding head, 58 Is an upper winding taping head, 59 is an optical fiber core such as an optical fiber tape.

  In the SZ collecting machine 50, the SZ slot 20 fed out by the SZ slot supply 51 passes through the die plate 52 in a state where a predetermined tension is applied by the brake device 54 and the take-up device 55. At that time, the optical fiber core wire 59 supplied from the optical fiber supply 56 is stored in the slot groove 12 of the SZ slot 20. At this time, the claw of the die plate 52 engages with the slot groove 12 of the SZ slot 20, and the slot groove 12 is fixed in place. As a result, the SZ slot 20 advances while being reversed alternately left and right before and after the die plate 52. Then, the SZ slot 20 in which the optical fiber core wire 59 is accommodated in the slot groove 12 is roughly wound by the rough winding head 57 to fix the optical fiber core wire 59, and the upper winding taping head 58 is wound up and wound by the winder 53. Wind up.

  When manufacturing the SZ slot 20, for example, when the SZ slot 20 is twisted and wound by the action shown in FIG. 10, when the SZ slot 20 is unwound from the SD slot supply 51 of the SD collecting machine 50, The SZ slot 20 rotates, and there arises a problem that the optical fiber core wire 59 accommodated in the specific slot groove 12 passes over between the slot grooves 12 and is accommodated in the adjacent slot groove 12. As a result, the optical fiber core wire 59 cannot be reliably accommodated in the slot groove 12, which may cause a significant increase in transmission loss or disconnection. Alternatively, the SZ slot 20 may be damaged, or equipment such as the die plate 52 may be damaged.

For example, Patent Literature 1 is disclosed as a technique for preventing the occurrence of a twist that is harmful to the SZ slot as described above. Here, an SZ slot made of a single steel wire with a bending rod having an outer diameter of 1.4 to 2.6 mmφ and a radius of curvature of 160 mm to 500 0 mm as a tensile body and a manufacturing apparatus therefor are disclosed. Here, the twisting phenomenon of the slot that occurs in the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus is avoided by using the above-described tensile body.

  The technique of the said patent document 1 has prescribed | regulated the curvature radius of the bending rod given to a tension body. Normally, a steel wire used as a tensile body is manufactured so that the straightness is good assuming that the steel wire is used in a straight state, but a predetermined range of bending wrinkles is imparted when the steel wire is manufactured. In such a case, it is considered that the production yield of the tensile strength body deteriorates. Moreover, when adding another process which gives a bending wrinkle to a tension body, the subject that cost raises by that arises.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when an optical fiber core wire is accommodated in a slot groove of a slot rod without causing twisting when the slot rod is manufactured, the optical fiber is provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a slot rod that can reliably and reliably accommodate a core wire.

The method for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable according to the present invention includes a method in which a thermoplastic resin is extrusion-coated around a tensile body made of a single steel wire having an outer diameter of 1.2 to 2.6 mm, and the knitting direction is periodically reversed. An optical cable slot rod manufacturing method for manufacturing an optical cable slot rod having a slot groove for storing an optical fiber before the extrusion coating is performed on a line of equipment for extrusion coating a thermoplastic resin to a tensile body. The bending strength in the longitudinal direction is imparted to the tensile body.
Here, by bending a tensile strength body at a winding angle A (degrees) in the range of 10 to 360 degrees on a molded wheel having a diameter D (mm) of 60 to 550 mm,
And the diameter D (mm) and the winding angle A (degree) of the molding wheel are
A ≧ D / 2-80
Is satisfied.
Further, the bending rod is applied so that the radius of curvature of the strength member is in a range of 160 to 2500 mm when the strength member is placed on a horizontal plane without applying external force.

At this time, the diameter D of the molding wheel to a range of 100～550Mm, or the winding angle A and 180 to 360 degrees, or the diameter D of the molding wheel to a range of 60～200Mm, the winding angle A 10 It is preferable to set it to -90 degree | times.

  Further, an auxiliary wheel around which the tensile strength member is wound with an outer diameter larger than 550 mm and a winding angle of 180 degrees or more can be arranged before and after the molding wheel.

According to the method for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable according to the present invention, when the optical fiber core is accommodated in the slot groove of the slot rod without causing twisting at the time of manufacturing the slot rod, the optical fiber core Containment can be carried out reliably and reliably.
In particular, it is possible to use a general tensile strength body by providing a bending strength to the tensile strength body in a line in which the tensile strength body is coated with a thermoplastic resin, thereby preventing a deterioration in yield during the production of the tensile strength body. be able to. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a separate process for bending bends, and an increase in cost can be prevented.

  It has been found that the twisting of the SZ slot 20 that mainly occurs in the accumulator 36 of the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus 30 as described above can be avoided by providing a bending wrinkle to the strength member 10. The bending wrinkle with respect to the strength member 10 can be defined by the radius of curvature of the strength member 10 when the strength member 10 is placed on a horizontal plane in the state where no external force is applied.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between a radius of curvature applied to a tensile body and a twist angle of an SZ slot manufactured using the tensile body. Here, the relationship between the radius of curvature and the twist angle of the SZ slot is shown for a steel wire having a diameter in the range of 1.2 to 2.6 mmφ as the strength member 10. As shown in FIG. 1, in order to avoid twisting of the SZ slot 20 in the manufacturing process of the SZ slot 20 (turning the twisting angle to 0 °), the radius of curvature of the strength member 10 is in the range of 160 to 2500 mm. It is necessary to be.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an apparatus for imparting bending wrinkles to a tensile strength body by the method for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable of the present invention, in which 1 is a molded wheel and 10 is a strength body. In order to avoid the twisting of the SZ slot 20 that occurs in the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus, the SZ slot 20 is manufactured while giving bending strength to the strength member 10 in the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus. As the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus 30, the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 described above can be applied. Then, before the thermoplastic resin is extrusion coated on the tensile strength body 10 on the line between the strength body supply 31 and the rotary crosshead 33 in FIG. 8, the molding wheel 1 for bending bend shown in FIG. And a bending wrinkle is applied to the strength member 10 in-line. By providing the bending wheel having a radius of curvature of 160 to 2500 mm to the strength member 10 by the molding wheel 1, twisting of the manufactured SZ slot 20 can be prevented.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing another configuration example of a device for imparting bending wrinkles to a tensile strength member by the method for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable according to the present invention. In the figure, 2 is an auxiliary wheel arranged before and after the molding wheel 1. is there. In the example of FIG. 3, two auxiliary wheels 2 for assisting the application of bending wrinkles are provided before and after the line of the forming wheel 1 that applies bending wrinkles to the strength member 10. The molding wheel 1 and the auxiliary wheel 2 are installed on a line from the strength member supply 31 to the rotary crosshead 33 in FIG. By using this auxiliary wheel 2, the forming wheel 1 can always give bending strength to the tensile strength body 10 in the same direction.

In each of the above configuration examples, a single steel wire having an outer diameter of 1.2 to 2.6 mm is used as the strength member 10, and the diameter of the molding wheel 1 is set to 60 to 550 mmφ, and 10 to 360 with respect to the molding wheel 1. The strength member 10 is wound at a winding angle (contact angle).
And the diameter D (mm) and winding angle A (degree) of the molding wheel 1 at this time are:
A ≧ D / 2-80 (1)
The range.
A bending wrinkle having a radius of curvature of 2500 mm or less can be provided by the range represented by the above formula (1). Here, when a 2.6 mm steel wire that is most difficult to impart bending bends is used, a range in which bending bends having a curvature radius of 2500 mm can be secured is shown.
The straight line A = D / 2-80 is a straight line passing through the coordinates (A, D) = ( 180,520 ), ( 20,200 ).
By satisfying these conditions, the radius of curvature of the strength member when placed on a horizontal surface in a state where substantially no external force is applied can be set to 160 to 2500 mm.

In particular, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the strength of the molded wheel 1 may be 100 to 550 mmφ and the strength member may be wound around the molded wheel 1 at a winding angle (contact angle) of 180 to 360 degrees.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the molding wheel 1 may have a diameter of 60 to 200 mmφ, and the tensile strength body 10 may be wound around the molding wheel 1 at a winding angle (contact angle) of 10 to 90 degrees. At this time, the auxiliary wheel 2 may have a diameter larger than 550 mmφ, and the tensile strength body 10 may be wound around the auxiliary wheel 2 at a winding angle (contact angle) of 180 degrees or more.

Example 1
Using the molding wheel 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the diameter of the molding wheel 1 and the radius of curvature of the strength member 10 were examined. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the diameter of the molding wheel 1 and the radius of curvature of the strength member 10 in the configuration of FIG. Here, various molded wheels 1 having a diameter in the range of 100 to 600 mmφ are used, and the winding angle (contact angle) of the tensile body 10 with respect to the molded wheel 1 is set to 180 ° and 360 °. Was granted. As the tensile body 10, a steel wire having a diameter in the range of 1.2 to 2.6 mmφ was used.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the diameter of the steel wire used as the strength member 10 is 2.0 to 2.6 mmφ, in order to obtain the required curvature radius 160 to 2500 mm of the strength member 10, the molded wheel 1 The diameter had to be in the range of about 100 to 550 mmφ. In addition, when the diameter of the steel wire is 1.2 mmφ, the diameter of the molding wheel 1 needs to be in a range of approximately 200 mmφ or less in order to obtain the required radius of curvature 160 to 2500 mm of the strength member 10. From these things, when the winding angle with respect to the molding wheel 1 is 360 °, in order to obtain the required radius of curvature 160 to 2500 mm of the strength member 10, the diameter of the molding wheel 1 is in the range of 100 to 550 mmφ. There is a need.

(Example 2)
Using the molding wheel 1 and the auxiliary wheel 2 configured as shown in FIG. 3, the winding angle of the molding wheel 1 and the radius of curvature of the strength member were examined. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the relationship between the winding angle of the molding wheel 1 and the radius of curvature of the strength member 10 in the configuration of FIG. In the example of FIG. 5, various molding wheels 1 having a diameter of 30 to 200 mmφ were used, and the winding angle (contact angle) of the strength member 10 with respect to the molding wheel 1 was changed to impart bending wrinkles to the strength member 10. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, in order to obtain the required radius of curvature 160 to 2500 mm of the strength member, when the diameter of the molding wheel 1 is 60 mm and 100 mm, the winding angle (contact angle) with respect to the molding wheel 1 ) Must be 5 to 90 degrees. The necessary winding angle when the diameter of the molding wheel 1 is 150 mmφ is 15 to 90 degrees, and the necessary winding angle when the diameter of the molding wheel 1 is 200 is 20 to 90 degrees. It was. From these, in order to obtain the required radius of curvature 160 to 2500 mm of the strength member, the diameter of the molded wheel 1 is set to 60 to 200 mmφ, and the winding angle of 10 to 90 degrees ( It is necessary to wind the strength member 10 at a contact angle.

In the example of FIG. 6, the molded wheel 1 having a diameter of 100 mmφ is used, and the tensile body 10 is wound around the molded wheel 1 by using a steel wire having a diameter of 1.2 mmφ and 2.6 mmφ as the strength body 10. The bending strength was imparted to the strength member 10 by changing the angle (contact angle).
As shown in FIG. 6, the wrapping angle (contact angle) of 10 to 90 degrees with respect to the molding wheel 1 for both the diameter of the steel wire used as the strength member 10 is 1.2 mmφ and 2.6 mmφ. The required radius of curvature 160 to 2500 mm of the tensile body 10 could be obtained by winding the tensile body with the above.

It is a figure which shows the relationship between the curvature radius provided to the tensile strength body, and the twist angle of the SZ slot manufactured using the tensile strength body. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the apparatus which provides a bending strength to a tensile strength body with the manufacturing method of the slot rod for optical cables of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the apparatus which does not require a bending wrinkle in a strength body by the manufacturing method of the slot rod for optical cables of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between the winding angle of the shaping | molding wheel in the structure of FIG. 2, and the curvature radius of a tensile strength body. It is a figure which shows the example of the relationship between the winding angle of the shaping | molding wheel in the structure of FIG. 3, and the curvature radius of a tensile strength body. It is a figure which shows the other example of the relationship between the winding angle of the shaping | molding wheel in the structure of FIG. 3, and the curvature radius of a tensile strength body. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the slot rod for SZ type | mold optical cables. It is the schematic which shows the structural example of the SZ slot manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an SZ slot. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the accumulator shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle which an SZ slot produces a one-way twist. It is the schematic for demonstrating the structural example of the SZ aggregation machine by the phase locking method for accommodating an optical fiber core wire in a slot groove | channel.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Molding wheel, 2 ... Auxiliary wheel, 10 ... Strength body, 11 ... Spacer, 12 ... Slot groove, 20 ... SZ slot, 30 ... SZ slot manufacturing apparatus, 31 ... Strength body supply, 32 ... Feeding apparatus, 33 ... Rotary Cross head, 34 ... take-up device, 35 ... slot winder, 36 ... accumulator, 36a ... fixed roller group, 36b ... movable roller group, 37 ... transverse roller, 38 ... free roller, 39 ... dice mask, 41 ... Roller, 50 ... SZ collecting machine, 51 ... SZ slot supply, 52 ... Die plate, 53 ... Winding machine, 54 ... Brake device, 55 ... Take-up device, 56 ... Optical fiber supply, 57 ... Rough winding head, 58 ... Upper winding Taping head, 59 ... optical fiber core wire.

Claims (5)

An optical cable provided with a slot groove for storing a plurality of optical fibers in which a thermoplastic resin is extrusion-coated around a tensile body made of a single steel wire having an outer diameter of 1.2 to 2.6 mm, and the knitting direction is periodically reversed. A method of manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable, wherein the tensile strength is applied to the tensile strength body before the extrusion coating is performed on a line of equipment for extrusion coating the thermoplastic resin to the tensile strength body. Having a step of imparting bending wrinkles in the longitudinal direction of the body ,
The step of imparting the bending wrinkle is performed by winding the strength member around a forming wheel having a diameter D (mm) of 60 to 550 mm at a winding angle A (degree) in the range of 10 to 360 degrees. Give the bends,
And the diameter D (mm) of the molding wheel and the winding angle A (degree)
A ≧ D / 2-80
A method for manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable, wherein:   2. The optical cable according to claim 1, wherein the bending rod is applied so that a radius of curvature of the strength member is in a range of 160 to 2500 mm when the strength member is placed on a horizontal plane without applying an external force. 3. Manufacturing method for slot rods 2. The method of manufacturing a slot rod for an optical cable according to claim 1, wherein a diameter D of the molded wheel is in a range of 100 to 550 mm and the winding angle A is 180 to 360 degrees . The diameter D of the molding wheel to a range of 60 to 200 mm, the optical cable slot rod manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that 10 to 90 degrees the winding angle A. The optical cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an auxiliary wheel for winding the strength member with an outer diameter larger than 550 mm and a winding angle of 180 degrees or more is disposed before and after the molding wheel. Method for manufacturing a slot rod for an automobile.

Images