JPH0139081B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical cable, in which an optical fiber is stored in a groove of an optical fiber storage body having a spiral groove on the outer periphery, and then the optical fiber is pressed and wound with tape. In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement in the method of storing optical fibers in grooves of optical fiber storage bodies.

Background of the Technology A method for storing optical fibers in an optical fiber storage body (hereinafter referred to as a spacer) having a spiral groove on the outer periphery is to feed the spacer at a constant speed, and rotate it around the axis in the feeding direction at a constant rotational speed. The optical fiber is supplied from a fixed reel,
There is a method for winding an optical fiber into the spiral groove of a rotating spacer, and a method in which the spacer is fed at a constant speed without rotating, and a reel fixed to a cage is rotated around the spacer at a constant speed. A commonly used method (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-54362) involves twisting the optical fibers supplied from the spacer around the outer periphery of the spacer to store the optical fibers in the spiral groove of the spacer. However, the pitch of the spiral groove of the spacer is not always constant and varies. Therefore, unnecessary stresses such as tension and bending are applied to the optical fiber when it is housed in the groove. In order to remove such stress and store the optical fiber in the groove of the spacer in a relaxed state, a capstan for feeding the optical fiber into the groove,
Improved methods have also been developed that include rollers, pneumatic feed devices, etc., and a gathering die for storing the optical fibers in the grooves. Furthermore, as a method of assembling at an appropriate position with respect to the relationship between the assembling dies and the assembling position, there is a method of controlling the assembling die position by moving the assembling die position back and forth in response to fluctuations in the groove pitch of the spacer (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1983-30562). is considered.

Prior Art and Problems In the conventional improved method of providing a gathering die for storing optical fibers in a slack state in grooves of a spacer, variations in the groove pitch of the spacer prevent proper gathering. Since the position and the position of the collecting die are different, it is difficult to accurately insert the optical fiber into the groove of the spacer, and in the conventional method of controlling the position of the collecting die to solve this problem,
The problem remains that there is a risk that the optical fiber will be strained as the assembly die moves.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In order to eliminate the conventional drawbacks, the present invention is characterized by controlling the rotational speed of the spacer or the spacer take-up speed of the optical fiber assembly according to the fluctuation of the groove pitch of the spacer. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical cable in which the optical cable is accurately housed in the groove of a spacer.

Structure of the Invention The present invention detects the groove pitch at a position different from the position where the optical fiber is housed in the groove of the spacer, and returns detection information of the detected groove pitch fluctuation to the feeding side and winding side of the spacer. This method is characterized by including a step of controlling the rotational speed of the spacer around the axis in the feeding direction or the spacer take-up speed of the optical fiber assembly based on the detected information. This will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings below.

Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the steps of an embodiment of the invention. Spacer 1 having a spiral groove on the outer periphery
is supplied from the feeding drum 2, and when passing through the collecting die 5, the optical fiber 7 supplied from the supply reel 6 is stored in the groove of the spacer 1. The spacer 1 with the optical fiber 7 stored in the groove is further wrapped around the outer periphery of the spacer 1 with a tape 10 using a tape winding device 9 with the optical fiber 7 stored in the groove, and then wound around the winding drum 3. take. optical fiber 7
When they are supplied from the supply reel 6, they are fed out through a feeding device 8 consisting of a capstan, a guide tube, etc., and collected in a tension-free, slack state at a collecting die. The groove pitch detection device 4 of the spacer 1 may be provided at any position different from the position where the optical fiber 7 is accommodated in the groove of the spacer 1, but it is preferably provided in front of the collecting die 5 as in this embodiment. It is. Fluctuations in the groove pitch of the spacer 1 are detected by a groove pitch detection device 4 using optical and mechanical methods. The detected fluctuating groove pitch information is converted into, for example, an electrical signal, and is fed to a control device (not shown), which is provided on both the feed drum 2 and the take-up drum 3 and is used in, for example, a normal feedback control device. By this,
Either the take-up speed of the spacer 1 of the collecting die 5 or the rotational speed of the spacer 1 around the feeding direction axis of the feeding drum 2 and the winding drum 3 of the spacer 1 is controlled, and the optical fiber 7 is moved to the spacer 1. Accurately store it in the spiral groove provided in the groove.

FIG. 2 shows a structural cross section of a detection die 20 according to an embodiment applied to the groove pitch detection device 4. As shown in FIG. The detection die 20 is provided with a protrusion 21 on the inside that corresponds to the shape of the groove provided in the spacer 1 . The protrusion 21 is inserted into the groove of the spacer 1, and the detection die 20 rotates as the groove rotates, and the groove pitch changes at a predetermined position in the feeding direction of the spacer 1 (in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the detection die 20 rotates). The setting position of the front groove pitch detection device 4.) is detected by converting it into the rotation of the detection die 20 set at Converts the resulting angular displacement into an electrical signal. The protrusion 21 may have any structure as long as it can be inserted into the groove of the spacer, and may be an insertion pin corresponding to the groove shape, and is not limited to this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention for optically detecting the groove pitch of a spacer. The spacer 1 has a concave portion formed by a groove 11 and a convex portion formed by a spring portion 12 in shape, and when a thin light is irradiated from the radial direction rotating in the feeding direction, the thin light changes depending on the unevenness of the spacer 1. . For this reason, the light irradiated to the concave portions of the spacer 1, that is, the grooves 11, has a large amount of light that passes through the convex portions, that is, the splash portions 12, since there is little light that is blocked.
The amount of light that passes through is small. Utilizing this change in the amount of passing light, the light source 1
Fluctuations in groove pitch can be measured by continuously monitoring the narrow light emitted from the groove 3 with the light receiver 14.

FIG. 4 illustrates the state of the amount of light passing through the groove 11 and the spring portion 12 as the spacer 1 rotates.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the groove pitch of the spacer is detected, and the detected information on the fluctuation of the groove pitch is fed back to the feeding side and the winding side of the spacer. By controlling the rotational speed of the spacer or the take-up speed of the spacer, it is possible to assemble the optical fibers at the correct position according to fluctuations in the groove pitch. The spacer may be squeezed by the collecting die due to the deviation between the setting value of the take-up speed and rotational speed around the axis in the running direction and the actual groove pitch, or the light may be caused by fluctuations in the collecting position when the collecting die is not used. The danger of over-tensioning the fibers is overcome, and the effect is great.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the steps of an embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 2 is a structural sectional view of a detection die applied to the groove pitch detection device of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of detecting the groove pitch of a spacer, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the amount of light passing through as the spacer rotates. It is a figure showing a state. 1...Spacer, 2...Feeding drum, 3...
Winding drum, 4...Groove pitch detection device, 5...
Collecting dice, 6... Supply reel, 7... Optical fiber, 8... Feeding device, 9... Tape winding device, 10... Holder winding tape, 11... Groove, 12...
...spring part, 13... light source, 14... light receiver, 20
...Detection die, 21...Protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber storage body having a spiral groove for storing optical fibers on the outer periphery is rotated around an axis in the feeding direction on the feeding side and winding side of the optical fiber storage body at approximately the same number of rotations, and In a method for manufacturing an optical cable, in which the optical fiber is stored in the groove while being pulled at a constant speed by a fiber assembly, and then the optical fiber is pressed and wound with tape, The detected detection information is fed back to the feeding side and the winding side, and the rotational speed around the axis in the feeding direction on the feeding side and the winding side or the 1. A method for manufacturing an optical cable, comprising the step of controlling the take-up speed of an optical fiber assembly.