JP7526600B2 - Optical fiber unit manufacturing method and optical fiber unit manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an optical fiber unit manufacturing method and an optical fiber unit manufacturing device.

There is a known technology for constructing an optical fiber cable by using an optical fiber unit that is an assembly of optical fibers bundled together. In this case, a common method is to wrap a loosely wound thread (bundle material) around the bundle of optical fibers to prevent the bundle of optical fibers from coming apart, while identifying the optical fiber unit by the color of the bundle material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for forming an optical fiber unit by bundling together multiple optical fiber tapes.

JP 2007-233252 A

When multiple optical fiber tapes are bundled together to form an optical fiber unit, the multiple optical fiber tapes may be bundled in a stacked state (multiple optical fiber tapes overlapped on top of each other) as described in Patent Document 1. However, as described in Patent Document 1, when an optical cable is constructed using an optical fiber unit in which multiple optical fiber tapes are bundled together in a stacked state, when a load is applied to the optical cable (e.g., bending or temperature change), the load may be concentrated on a specific optical fiber, resulting in increased transmission loss.

The purpose of the present invention is to prevent the load from being concentrated on a specific optical fiber.

The main invention for achieving the above object is an optical fiber unit manufacturing method that involves assembling a plurality of optical fiber tape with at least one optical fiber tape in a different position from the other optical fiber tape, and bundling the assembled plurality of optical fiber tape with a bundling material to form an optical fiber unit.

Other features of the present invention will become clear from the following description and drawings.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent load concentration on a specific optical fiber.

Fig. 1A is an explanatory diagram of an optical cable 1. Fig. 1B is an explanatory diagram of an optical fiber unit 2. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the intermittently connected type optical fiber ribbon 7. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a unit manufacturing apparatus 20 for manufacturing the optical fiber unit 2. As shown in FIG. Fig. 4A is an explanatory diagram of the cross-sectional shape of a plurality of optical fiber ribbons 7 of a comparative example. Fig. 4B is an explanatory diagram of the cross-sectional shape of a plurality of intermittently connected optical fiber ribbons 7 in a state where the stacking state of the present embodiment is collapsed. Fig. 4C is an explanatory diagram of the cross-sectional shape of a plurality of collectively covered optical fiber ribbons 7 in a state where the stacking state of the present embodiment is collapsed. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the state of transport of the optical fiber ribbon 7 in the gathering section 40 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a table showing the relationship between the inclination θ of the rotation axis and the cross-sectional shape of the plurality of optical fiber ribbons 7 gathered in the gathering portion 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the state of transport of the optical fiber ribbon 7 in the gathering portion 40 of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a first modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second modified example of the second embodiment.

At least the following points become clear from the description and drawings described below.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit is disclosed in which a plurality of optical fiber tapes are assembled with at least one of the optical fiber tapes in a different position from the other optical fiber tapes, and the assembled plurality of optical fiber tapes are bundled with a bundling material to form an optical fiber unit. This method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit can prevent loads from concentrating on a particular optical fiber.

It is desirable to assemble the optical fiber tapes with the tape surface of at least one of the optical fiber tapes tilted relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes. This allows the optical fiber tapes to be assembled with the attitude of at least one optical fiber tape different from the attitude of the other optical fiber tapes.

It is desirable to tilt the rotation axis of the transport roller that transports at least one of the optical fiber tapes relative to the rotation axis of the transport roller that transports the other optical fiber tapes. This allows multiple optical fiber tapes to be assembled with the tape surface of at least one of the optical fiber tapes tilted relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes.

The optical fiber tapes are inserted into each of the insertion holes of a mesh plate having a plurality of insertion holes, and the optical fiber tapes that have passed through each of the insertion holes are assembled, and it is desirable that at least one of the insertion holes is formed at an angle to the other insertion holes. This allows the optical fiber tapes to be assembled with the tape surface of at least one of the optical fiber tapes inclined to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes.

It is desirable to assemble a plurality of the optical fiber tapes with the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the optical fiber tapes being different from the cross-sectional shape of the other optical fiber tapes. This allows a plurality of optical fiber tapes to be assembled with the posture of at least one of the optical fiber tapes being different from the posture of the other optical fiber tapes.

The optical fiber tapes are inserted into each of the through holes of a mesh plate having a plurality of through holes, and the optical fiber tapes that have passed through each of the through holes are assembled, and it is desirable that at least one of the through holes has a different shape from the other through holes. This allows the optical fiber tapes to be assembled in a state where the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the optical fiber tapes is different from the cross-sectional shapes of the other optical fiber tapes.

The optical fiber tape is inserted into each of the insertion holes of a mesh plate having a plurality of insertion holes, and the optical fiber tapes that have passed through the respective insertion holes are assembled, and it is desirable that the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape at the insertion hole changes over time. This allows the cross-sectional shapes of the assembled optical fiber tapes to differ in the longitudinal direction, and the stress applied to the optical fiber can be distributed in the longitudinal direction.

An optical fiber unit manufacturing device is disclosed that is characterized by comprising an assembly section that assembles multiple optical fiber tape with the posture of at least one optical fiber tape being different from the posture of the other optical fiber tape, and a unit forming section that forms an optical fiber unit by bundling the assembled multiple optical fiber tape with a bundling material. With such an optical fiber unit manufacturing device, it is possible to prevent load concentration on a specific optical fiber.

First Embodiment
<Configuration of optical cable 1>
FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram of an optical cable 1.

The optical cable 1 is a cable that houses an optical fiber 8. The optical cable 1 of this embodiment is an optical cable that does not have a slot rod in which a groove (slot) for housing the optical fiber 8 is formed, and is a so-called slotless type optical cable. The optical cable 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of optical fiber units 2 and an outer jacket 3. Note that, although the optical cable 1 here is a slotless type optical cable, it may also be a slot type optical cable that has a slot rod. However, the optical fiber unit 2 described later is particularly effective when used in a slotless type optical cable 1.

The optical fiber unit 2 has a structure in which a plurality of optical fibers 8 are bundled with a bundling material 10. The optical cable 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of optical fiber units 2. The detailed structure of the optical fiber unit 2 will be described later. The plurality of optical fiber units 2 are housed inside the jacket 3 while being covered with a pressure winding tape 5. The plurality of optical fiber units 2 may be housed inside the jacket 3 while being twisted in one direction or in an SZ shape. In addition to the plurality of optical fiber units 2, an inclusion may be housed inside the pressure winding tape 5. For example, an absorbent material may be housed as an inclusion on the inside, outside, or both of the pressure winding tape 5. The pressure winding tape 5 may also be made of a water-absorbing tape.

The jacket 3 is a member that covers the multiple optical fiber units 2 (and the pressure winding tape 5). The outer shape of the jacket 3 has a cross section that is approximately circular. In this embodiment, the pressure winding tape 5 that wraps the multiple optical fiber units 2 is housed inside the jacket 3. In addition, a tension member 4 is embedded in the jacket 3. In addition to the tension member 4, other members (such as a rip cord) may also be embedded in the jacket 3.

FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of the optical fiber unit 2.
The optical fiber unit 2 has a structure in which a bundle of a plurality of optical fibers 8 is bundled with a bundling material 10. The bundling material 10 is wound around the outer circumference of the optical fibers 8, thereby bundling the plurality of optical fibers 8 and preventing them from coming apart. The optical fiber unit 2 of this embodiment is configured by bundling a plurality of intermittently connected optical fiber ribbons 7.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the intermittently connected type optical fiber ribbon 7. As shown in FIG.
The intermittently connected optical fiber ribbon 7 is an optical fiber ribbon 7 in which a plurality of (here, 12) optical fibers 8 are arranged in parallel and intermittently connected. Two adjacent optical fibers 8 are connected by a connection portion 9A. A plurality of connection portions 9A are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction between the two adjacent optical fibers 8. The plurality of connection portions 9A are also two-dimensionally intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction and the tape width direction. The area other than the connection portions 9A between the two adjacent optical fibers 8 is a non-connection portion 9B. In the non-connection portion 9B, the two adjacent optical fibers 8 are not constrained from each other. The optical fiber ribbon 7 is flexibly deformable in the tape width direction, and is capable of bundling a large number of optical fibers 8 at a high density.

The intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 is not limited to the one shown in the figure. For example, the arrangement of the connecting portion 9A may be changed. Also, the number of optical fibers 8 constituting the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 may be changed. Also, the optical fiber tape 7 is not limited to the intermittently connected optical fiber tape, and may be, for example, a one-piece coated optical fiber tape as described below.

The bundle material 10 is a member that bundles multiple optical fibers 8. The bundle material 10 is a thread-, string-, or tape-like member that can bundle multiple optical fibers 8. The bundle material 10 is wrapped around the outer circumference of the bundle of optical fibers 8. The optical fiber unit 2 in the figure bundles the optical fibers 8 with two bundle materials 10, but the optical fiber unit 2 may have one bundle material 10 or two or more bundle materials 10.

The bundle material 10 is made of a composite material of a high melting point material and a low melting point material, and is heat-sealed at the intersections. However, the bundle material 10 may be made of a single material rather than a composite material. For example, it may be made of either a high melting point material or a low melting point material, or the materials of the two bundle materials 10 may be different. Also, instead of heat-sealing the bundle materials 10 together, they may be joined with an adhesive. Also, the intersections of the bundle materials 10 do not have to be joined.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the two bundle materials 10 are wound in an SZ shape around the bundle of optical fibers 8. That is, each bundle material 10 is wound around half the circumference of the bundle of optical fibers 8 while reversing the winding direction at the joint 15. However, the winding method of the bundle material 10 is not limited to this. For example, one bundle material 10 may be wound in a spiral shape around the outer circumference of the bundle of optical fibers 8. Also, two bundle materials 10 may be wound in a spiral shape around the outer circumference of the bundle of optical fibers 8 in opposite directions. In this embodiment, the optical fiber unit 2 is configured by bundling multiple optical fiber tapes 7 with two string-like bundle materials 10, but the configuration of the optical fiber unit 2 is not limited to this. For example, the optical fiber unit 2 may be configured by wrapping a tape-like bundle material 10 around the outer circumference of a bundle of multiple optical fibers 8. The bundle material 10 is wound so as to follow the outer shape of the bundle of optical fibers 8, so that the outer shape of the bundle of optical fibers 8 can be maintained (as a result, multiple optical fiber tapes 7 can be held in a collapsed stacked state (described below)).

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a unit manufacturing apparatus 20 for manufacturing the optical fiber unit 2. As shown in FIG.
The unit manufacturing apparatus 20 has a plurality of tape supplying sections 30 , a collecting section 40 , and a unit forming section 100 .

The tape supply unit 30 is a device (supply source) that supplies the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7. For example, the tape supply unit 30 is configured with a drum (or bobbin) on which the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 is wound in advance. The tape supply unit 30 may be configured with a manufacturing device for the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7. In this embodiment, the intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 are each supplied from the multiple tape supply units 30 to the assembly unit 40.

The assembly unit 40 is a device that assembles multiple optical fiber tapes 7. As described below, the assembly unit 40 of this embodiment assembles multiple optical fiber tapes 7 in a collapsed stacked state. In this embodiment, multiple intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 in a collapsed stacked state are supplied from the assembly unit 40 to the bundle winding unit 50. The detailed configuration of the assembly unit 40 will be described later.

The unit forming section 100 is an apparatus for forming an optical fiber unit 2 in which a bundle material 10 is wound around a plurality of optical fiber tapes 7. In this embodiment, the unit forming section 100 winds the bundle material 10 around a plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 in a collapsed stacked state, thereby forming an optical fiber unit 2 made up of a plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 in a collapsed stacked state. The plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 in a collapsed stacked state will be described later. The unit forming section 100 has a bundle winding section 50 and a bundle joining section 60. However, if the bundle material 10 is not joined, the unit forming section 100 may have only the bundle winding section 50 without the bundle joining section 60.

The bundle winding unit 50 is a device that winds the bundle material 10 around the outer periphery of a bundle of multiple intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7. In this embodiment, the bundle winding unit 50 winds two bundle materials 10 in an SZ shape. However, the bundle winding unit 50 is not limited to winding the bundle material 10 in an SZ shape, and may wind the bundle material 10 in a spiral shape in one direction, for example. In addition, when the bundle material is tape-shaped, the bundle winding unit 50 may wind the bundle material so as to wrap the bundle of multiple optical fiber tapes 7. Here, the bundle winding unit 50 winds the bundle material 10 around the outer periphery of the bundle of multiple optical fiber tapes 7 in an SZ shape, thereby forming an intersection of two bundle materials 10 around the outer periphery of the bundle of multiple optical fiber tapes 7, and supplies the multiple intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 and bundle materials 10 to the bundle joint unit 60. In FIG. 3, multiple intersections of the bundle material 10 are formed between the bundle winding section 50 and the bundle joint section 60, but the distance between the bundle winding section 50 and the bundle joint section 60 may be shorter than the longitudinal distance between the intersections of the bundle material 10.

The bundle joint section 60 is a device that joins the bundle materials 10. In this embodiment, the bundle joint section 60 is configured with a cylindrical heater. The inner wall surface of the cylindrical heater is the heating surface. When multiple intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 and bundle materials 10 pass inside the cylindrical heater, the intersections of the two bundle materials 10 are fusion-joined to form a joint section 15. This results in the manufacture of the optical fiber unit 2 shown in FIG. 1B. Note that the bundle joint section 60 may join the bundle materials 10 with an adhesive instead of joining the bundle materials 10 by thermal fusion. Also, the unit forming section 100 may not include the bundle joint section 60, and the bundle materials 10 may not be joined.

The optical fiber units 2 thus manufactured are bundled together and wound around a pressure winding tape 5. The molten resin that will become the outer sheath 3 is extruded onto the outside of the pressure winding tape 5 in an extrusion molding device, thereby manufacturing the optical cable 1.

<Cross-sectional shape of optical fiber unit 2>
First, the cross-sectional shape of an optical fiber unit of a comparative example will be described, and then the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber unit 2 of this embodiment will be described.

Figure 4A is an explanatory diagram of the cross-sectional shape of multiple optical fiber tapes 7 of an optical fiber unit 2 of a comparative example. In the comparative example, six intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 are stacked and bundled by a bundle material 10 (not shown in Figure 4A). In the comparative example, the optical fiber tape 7 is not bent in the tape width direction, and the tape surface is flat. In addition, the flat tape surfaces of each optical fiber tape 7 are parallel to each other, and the tape surfaces of each optical fiber tape 7 are aligned. In other words, in the comparative example, six optical fiber tapes 7 are stacked regularly. In the following description, as shown in Figure 4A, the tape width direction of the optical fiber tape 7 in a flat state is called the X direction, the stacking direction of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 is called the Y direction, and the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape 7 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is sometimes called the Z direction. The tape surface of the optical fiber tape 7 in a stacked state is parallel to the XZ plane.

In the comparative example shown in FIG. 4A, when the optical cable is bent, there is a risk of load concentration on a specific optical fiber 8. For example, when the optical fiber unit 2 is bent with the N1-N1 plane in the figure as the neutral plane, tensile or compressive stress is concentrated on the optical fiber 8 constituting the first optical fiber tape 7 or the sixth optical fiber tape 7 (the optical fiber tape 7 at the end of the stacked state) in the figure, making it difficult to distribute the stress to other optical fibers 8. Also, when the optical fiber unit 2 is bent with the N2-N2 plane of each optical fiber tape 7 in the figure as the neutral plane, tensile or compressive stress is concentrated on the first fiber or the twelfth fiber (the optical fiber 8 at both ends of the optical fiber tape 7) in the figure, making it difficult to distribute the stress to other optical fibers 8. In this way, under a situation where the load is concentrated on a specific optical fiber 8 and it is difficult to distribute the load to other optical fibers 8, the transmission loss of the optical fiber 8 on which the load is concentrated increases, and as a result, the maximum transmission loss (the maximum transmission loss among the transmission losses of the multiple optical fibers 8) increases. For this reason, it is desirable not to concentrate the load on a specific optical fiber 8.

In this embodiment, the optical fiber unit 2 is configured in a state where the stacking state of the optical fiber tapes 7 is broken, as shown in Figures 4B and 4C. Figure 4B shows a plurality of intermittently connected optical fiber tapes 7 in a state where the stacking state is broken. Figure 4C shows a plurality of lumped-coated optical fiber tapes 7 in a state where the stacking state is broken. In this embodiment, by configuring the optical fiber unit 2 in a state where the stacking state of the optical fiber tapes 7 is broken as shown in Figures 4B and 4C, the concentration of load on a specific optical fiber 8 is suppressed, and the maximum transmission loss of the optical cable 1 (or the optical fiber unit 2) is suppressed. Note that the state where the stacking state is broken means a state where the relative positional relationship of at least one optical fiber tape 7 is different from the stacking state shown in Figure 4A. For this reason, in this embodiment, all of the optical fiber tapes 7 do not need to be in a different position from the stacking state shown in Figure 4A, and for example, as shown in Figure 4B, it is acceptable for a certain optical fiber tape 7 to be in the same position as the stacking state shown in Figure 4A (it is sufficient that another optical fiber tape 7 is in a different position from the stacking state shown in Figure 4A). If the relative positional relationship of at least one optical fiber ribbon 7 is different from the stacked state shown in FIG. 4A, it is possible to suppress the concentration of load on a specific optical fiber 8 compared to the case shown in FIG. 4A, and it is possible to suppress the maximum transmission loss of the optical cable 1 (or the optical fiber unit 2).

As shown in FIG. 4B, in the case of an intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7, the tape surface of the optical fiber tape 7 can be bent in the tape width direction, so the gap between the optical fiber tapes 7 can be made smaller than in the case shown in FIG. 4C. However, even in the case of a bundled-covered optical fiber tape 7, by disrupting the stacked state of multiple optical fiber tapes 7 as shown in FIG. 4C, it is possible to prevent load concentration on a specific optical fiber 8, and to suppress the maximum transmission loss of the optical cable 1 (or optical fiber unit 2).

<Regarding the collection section 40>
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the state of transport of the optical fiber ribbon 7 in the gathering section 40 of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the assembly unit 40 assembles multiple optical fiber tapes 7 in a state where the posture of at least one optical fiber tape 7 is different from the posture of the other optical fiber tapes 7. This allows multiple optical fiber tapes 7 to be assembled in a state where the stacked state is collapsed. In the first embodiment, the posture of at least one optical fiber tape 7 is made different from the posture of the other optical fiber tapes 7 by tilting the tape surface of at least one optical fiber tape 7 relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7.

The assembly section 40 has an intermediate member 41 and an assembly member 42. The intermediate member 41 is provided upstream of the assembly member 42, and is a member that makes the posture of at least one optical fiber tape 7 different from the postures of the other optical fiber tapes 7. The assembly member 42 is a member that collects multiple optical fiber tapes 7 in a state in which the posture of at least one optical fiber tape 7 is made different from the postures of the other optical fiber tapes 7. The intermediate member 41 in the first embodiment is composed of multiple transport rollers 41A. Furthermore, the assembly member 42 in the first embodiment is composed of assembly rollers 42A. However, the configurations of the intermediate member 41 and the assembly member 42 are not limited to this.

The transport roller 41A is a roller (a rotating body including a pulley, a roller, etc.) that transports the optical fiber tape 7. Each transport roller 41A transports one optical fiber tape 7. The transport roller 41A is a cylindrical member that can rotate around a rotation axis. The transport roller 41A has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface that is parallel to the rotation axis. The tape surface of the optical fiber tape 7 transported by the transport roller 41A is parallel to the rotation axis of the transport roller 41A. The transport roller 41A in the figure has a groove formed on its cylindrical outer circumferential surface, and the optical fiber tape 7 is placed on the bottom surface of the groove, so that the optical fiber tape 7 is unlikely to come off the transport roller 41A. However, the groove does not have to be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the transport roller 41A. The optical fiber tape 7 transported by each transport roller 41A is transported toward a common collection roller 42A.

The assembly roller 42A is a roller that transports the assembled optical fiber tapes 7. The assembly roller 42A transports the assembled optical fiber tapes 7. The assembly roller 42A is disposed downstream of the conveying rollers 41A. The assembly roller 42A also has the function of collecting the optical fiber tapes 7 transported from the conveying rollers 41A. The assembly roller 42A is a cylindrical member that can rotate around the rotation axis. The assembly roller 42A has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface that is parallel to the rotation axis. The assembly roller 42A has a groove formed on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface, and the optical fiber tapes 7 are placed on the bottom surface of the groove, so that the assembled optical fiber tapes 7 are unlikely to come off the assembly roller 42A. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the assembly roller 42A is the X direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tapes 7 is the Y direction (the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tapes 7 is the Z direction).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotation axis of at least one transport roller 41A is arranged to be inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the other transport rollers 41A. Specifically, the rotation axes of the five transport rollers 41A are parallel to the X direction, while the rotation axis of one transport roller 41A is inclined by an angle θ with respect to the X direction. As a result, at least one of the optical fiber tapes 7 transported by the transport roller 41A is transported with its tape surface inclined with respect to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. For this reason, the tape surfaces of the optical fiber tapes 7 transported by the transport roller 41A are not all aligned, and there are optical fiber tapes 7 having tape surfaces inclined with respect to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. In this embodiment, the optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled with the tape surface of a certain optical fiber tape 7 inclined with respect to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. As a result, the optical fiber tapes 7 can be assembled with the stacked state collapsed.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the optical fiber tape 7 is an intermittently connected type optical fiber tape, when an optical fiber tape 7 with an inclined tape surface comes into contact with an optical fiber tape 7 with a non-inclined tape surface, the tape surfaces of both are deformed. When multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled in a state where the tape surface is deformed, the overall cross-sectional shape of the assembled multiple optical fiber tapes 7 becomes distorted, and as shown in the above-mentioned Figure 4B, the gaps between the optical fiber tapes 7 can be made smaller than when a bundled coated type optical fiber tape is assembled (see Figure 4C).

Here, the rotation axis of one transport roller 41A is inclined with respect to the X direction, and the rotation axes of the remaining transport rollers 41A are parallel to the X direction. However, the arrangement for inclining the rotation axis of at least one transport roller 41A with respect to the rotation axis of the other transport rollers 41A is not limited to this. For example, the rotation axes of two or more transport rollers 41A may be inclined with respect to the X direction. Also, the rotation axes of all transport rollers 41A may be inclined in different directions with respect to the X direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, when multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled, the rotation axis of the transport roller 41A that transports the optical fiber tape 7 located in the center in the Y direction is arranged at an angle to the rotation axis of the other transport rollers 41A. As a result, multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled in a state where the optical fiber tape 7 having a tape surface that is inclined with respect to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7 is located in the center in the Y direction, making it easier to break up the stacked state of the assembled multiple optical fiber tapes 7.

Figure 6 is a table showing the relationship between the tilt θ of the rotation axis and the cross-sectional shape of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 assembled in the assembly section 40. Here, as shown in Figure 5, the tilt of the transport roller 41A with respect to the rotation axis of the other transport roller 41A is taken as θ. As shown in Figure 6, when θ is increased, the stacked state of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 in the assembly section 40 becomes disorganized. Specifically, when θ is set to 15 degrees or more, the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 can be assembled in a state where the stacked state is disorganized. For this reason, it is desirable for θ to be 15 degrees or more.

<Modification>
7 is an explanatory diagram of a modification of the first embodiment. In the modification, instead of tilting the rotation axis of the transport roller 41A described above, the entrance angle θ1 of a certain optical fiber tape 7 into the assembly roller 42A is made significantly different from the entrance angles of the other optical fiber tapes 7. The entrance angle θ1 is the entrance angle of a certain optical fiber tape 7 into the assembly roller 42A with respect to the sending direction of the assembled optical fiber tapes 7. When the entrance angle θ1 of a certain optical fiber tape 7 becomes large, the tape surface of the optical fiber tape 7 deforms in a wavy manner when the optical fiber tape 7 is assembled with the other optical fiber tapes 7, and as a result, the optical fiber tapes 7 can be assembled in a state where the stacked state is collapsed. In the case of the modification, it is desirable to increase the entrance angle of the optical fiber tape 7 located at the center in the Y direction when the optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled.

Second Embodiment
In the above-described first embodiment, the intermediate member 41 is configured by a plurality of transport rollers 41A, and the transport rollers 41A are used to make the posture of a certain optical fiber tape 7 different from the postures of other optical fiber tapes 7. However, the method of making the postures of the optical fiber tapes 7 different is not limited to this.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the transport of the optical fiber tape 7 in the collecting section 40 of the second embodiment. The collecting section 40 of the second embodiment has a mesh plate 41B and a collecting roller 42A. In the second embodiment, the intermediate member 41 (a member that makes the posture of at least one optical fiber tape 7 different from the posture of the other optical fiber tapes 7) is composed of the mesh plate 41B.

The mesh plate 41B is a plate-like member having a plurality of insertion holes 411. The insertion holes 411 are through holes that penetrate the mesh plate 41B, and are holes for inserting the optical fiber tape 7. The figure shows the optical fiber tape 7 inserted into each insertion hole 411. By inserting the optical fiber tape 7 into the insertion holes 411, the optical fiber tape 7 can be placed in a specific position.

In this embodiment, the through hole 411 is configured in a straight line (elongated rectangular shape: slit shape). By inserting the optical fiber tape 7 through the straight through hole 411, the attitude of the optical fiber tape 7 can be determined so that the tape surface of the optical fiber tape 7 is at a predetermined angle (angle along the straight through hole 411). The length of the straight through hole 411 is approximately the same as the length of the optical fiber tape 7 in the tape width direction (tape width) in a flat state (more specifically, slightly longer than the tape width). As will be described later, the through hole 411 is not limited to a straight line, and may be other shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, or a polygon.

At least one of the multiple insertion holes 411 is formed at an angle to the other insertion holes 411. As a result, at least one of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 that have passed through the insertion hole 411 is transported with its tape surface tilted relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. Therefore, the tape surfaces of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 that have passed through the insertion hole 411 are not all aligned, and there are optical fiber tapes 7 that have tape surfaces that are tilted relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. In this embodiment, the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled with the tape surface of a certain optical fiber tape 7 tilted relative to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber tapes 7. This allows the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 to be assembled in a state where the stacking state is collapsed.

In this embodiment, all the linear insertion holes 411 are formed at different angles, but two or more linear insertion holes 411 in the same direction may be included. However, if all the linear insertion holes 411 are formed at different angles as in this embodiment, the stacked state of the assembled multiple optical fiber tapes 7 becomes easier to break. Also, in this embodiment, all the linear insertion holes 411 are formed at an incline with respect to the X direction (direction parallel to the rotation axis of the assembly roller 42A), but the insertion holes 411 parallel to the X direction may be included. However, if all the linear insertion holes 411 are formed at an incline with respect to the X direction as in this embodiment, the stacked state of the multiple optical fiber tapes 7 assembled by the assembly roller 42A becomes easier to break.

<Modification>
In the above embodiment, the tape surface of a certain optical fiber tape 7 is tilted to make the attitude of that optical fiber tape 7 different from the attitudes of the other optical fiber tapes 7. However, the method of making the attitudes of the optical fiber tapes 7 different is not limited to this.

Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of a first modified example of the second embodiment. In the first modified example, the mesh plate 41B has not only linear insertion holes 411 but also circular insertion holes 411. In the first modified example, at least one insertion hole 411 (circular insertion hole 411) has a different shape from the other insertion holes 411 (linear insertion holes 411). When the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 passes through the circular insertion hole 411, the optical fiber tape 7 is deformed in the tape width direction by the inner wall surface of the circular insertion hole 411. As a result, the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 that has passed through the circular insertion hole 411 can be made different from the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 that has passed through the other insertion holes 411, so that the optical fiber tape 7 can be made to have a different posture from the other optical fiber tapes 7. When multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled in a state in which the tape surface is deformed (a state in which the cross-sectional shape is made different from that of the other optical fiber tapes 7), the overall cross-sectional shape of the assembled multiple optical fiber tapes 7 becomes distorted.

The diameter D of the circular insertion hole 411 is smaller than the length in the tape width direction (tape width) of the optical fiber tape 7 in a flat state. In this way, the maximum inner dimension of the insertion hole 411 (for example, the diameter in the case of a circle, or the major axis in the case of an ellipse) is smaller than the length in the tape width direction (tape width) of the optical fiber tape 7 in a flat state, so that when the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 passes through the insertion hole 411, the optical fiber tape 7 can be reliably deformed by the inner wall surface of the insertion hole 411.

In the first modified example, when multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled, the insertion hole 411 for inserting the optical fiber tape 7 located in the center in the Y direction is formed as a circular insertion hole 411 with a diameter D smaller than the tape width. In the present embodiment, the insertion hole 411 located in the center in the Y direction of the mesh plate 41B is formed as a circular insertion hole 411 with a diameter D smaller than the tape width. As a result, multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled with the optical fiber tape 7 having a deformed tape surface located in the center in the Y direction, making it easier to break up the stacked state of the assembled multiple optical fiber tapes 7.

Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the second modified example of the second embodiment. In the second modified example, all of the multiple insertion holes 411 of the mesh plate 41B are circular. In this way, all of the insertion holes 411 may have the same shape. In the second modified example, as in the first modified example, the diameter D (corresponding to the maximum width of the insertion hole 411) of the circular insertion hole 411 is smaller than the length in the tape width direction (tape width) of the optical fiber tape 7 in a flat state. This allows the optical fiber tape 7 to be reliably deformed by the inner wall surface of the circular insertion hole 411 when the intermittently connected optical fiber tape 7 passes through the circular insertion hole 411. In addition, if multiple optical fiber tapes 7 are gathered together with the tape surface deformed, the overall cross-sectional shape of the gathered multiple optical fiber tapes 7 will be distorted.

In the case of the insertion hole 411 of this embodiment, unlike the case where the insertion hole 411 is linear, the posture of the optical fiber tape 7 inserted in the insertion hole 411 can be changed. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 inserted in the insertion hole 411 can be changed to a spiral shape, an S-shape, an inverted S-shape, or the like. For this reason, when a plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 are assembled downstream of the mesh plate 41B, the optical fiber tape 7 comes into contact with the other optical fiber tapes 7 and receives a force, so that the posture of the optical fiber tape 7 changes, and as a result, the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 at the insertion hole 411 changes over time. As a result, the cross-sectional shape of the assembled plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 also changes over time, and the cross-sectional shape of the assembled plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 changes depending on the position in the longitudinal direction. By making the cross-sectional shapes of the assembled plurality of optical fiber tapes 7 different in the longitudinal direction, the stress (tensile stress or compressive stress) applied to the optical fiber when the optical cable is bent can be absorbed at another position (the stress applied to the optical fiber 8 can be dispersed in the longitudinal direction). For this reason, it is desirable for the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 at the insertion hole 411 to be variable, as in the second modified example.

In order to facilitate the change over time of the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber tape 7 in the insertion hole 411, it is desirable that the inner wall surface of the insertion hole 411 be configured as a curved surface. Specifically, it is desirable that the insertion hole 411 be circular or elliptical.

===Other embodiments===
The above-described embodiments are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In addition, the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined.

1 Optical cable, 2 Optical fiber unit,
3 Outer sheath, 4 Tension member, 5 Presser winding tape,
7 Optical fiber tape, 8 Optical fiber,
9A connecting part, 9B non-connecting part,
10 bundle material, 15 joint,
20 unit manufacturing device, 30 tape supply unit,
40 Collecting portion, 41 Intermediate member,
41A conveying roller, 41B mesh plate, 411 insertion hole,
42 collecting member, 42A collecting roller,
50: bundle winding portion; 60: bundle joint portion

Claims (8)

Assembling a plurality of optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the orientation of at least one optical fiber ribbon is different from the orientation of the other optical fiber ribbons; and
bundling the assembled optical fiber ribbons with a bundling material to form an optical fiber unit;
An optical fiber unit manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, comprising the steps of: assembling a plurality of said optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said optical fiber ribbons is made different from the cross-sectional shape of the other optical fiber ribbons . 2. The optical fiber unit manufacturing method according to claim 1,
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, comprising the steps of: assembling a plurality of optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the tape surface of at least one of the optical fiber ribbons is inclined with respect to the tape surfaces of the other optical fiber ribbons. 3. The optical fiber unit manufacturing method according to claim 2,
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, comprising the steps of: tilting a rotation axis of a transport roller for transporting at least one of the optical fiber ribbons with respect to a rotation axis of a transport roller for transporting another optical fiber ribbon. 3. The optical fiber unit manufacturing method according to claim 2,
the optical fiber tape is inserted into each of the insertion holes of a batten having a plurality of insertion holes, and the optical fiber tape that has passed through each of the insertion holes is collected together;
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, wherein at least one of said insertion holes is formed at an angle to the other insertion holes. 2. The optical fiber unit manufacturing method according to claim 1 ,
the optical fiber tape is inserted into each of the insertion holes of a batten having a plurality of insertion holes, and the optical fiber tape that has passed through each of the insertion holes is collected together;
13. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, comprising the steps of: forming a first through hole and a second through hole; Assembling a plurality of optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the orientation of at least one optical fiber ribbon is different from the orientation of the other optical fiber ribbons; and
bundling the assembled optical fiber ribbons with a bundling material to form an optical fiber unit;
An optical fiber unit manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
the optical fiber tape is inserted into each of the insertion holes of a batten having a plurality of insertion holes, and the optical fiber tape that has passed through each of the insertion holes is collected together;
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber unit, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber ribbon at the insertion hole changes over time. a collecting section for collecting a plurality of optical fiber ribbons in a state where the orientation of at least one optical fiber ribbon is different from the orientation of the other optical fiber ribbons;
a unit forming section for bundling the collected optical fiber ribbons with a bundling material to form an optical fiber unit ,
The optical fiber unit manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the gathering section gathers a plurality of the optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the optical fiber ribbons is made different from the cross-sectional shape of the other optical fiber ribbons . an assembly unit that assembles a plurality of optical fiber ribbons in a state in which the orientation of at least one optical fiber ribbon is different from the orientation of the other optical fiber ribbons;
a unit forming section that forms an optical fiber unit by bundling the collected optical fiber ribbons with a bundling material;
Equipped with
The collection portion is
The plate has a plurality of insertion holes,
The optical fiber tape is inserted into each of the insertion holes of the plate, and the optical fiber tape that has passed through each of the insertion holes is collected together,
An optical fiber unit manufacturing apparatus, comprising: an optical fiber ribbon having an insertion hole and a cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber ribbon at the insertion hole being changed over time.

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