Optical fiber re-coating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10252287-B2
Application number	US-201414903824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

An optical fiber re-coating device of the invention includes an optical fiber coater that cures resin and coats a coating-removed portion of an optical fiber therewith. The optical fiber re-coating device includes: a resin reservoir tank that stores the resin which is before subjected to curing; a pump that supplies the resin stored in the resin reservoir tank to an optical fiber coater; and an air bubble separator that separates air bubbles included in the resin from the pump therefrom, sends the resin from which the air bubbles are separated to the optical fiber coater, and returns the resin including the separated air bubbles to the resin reservoir tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical fiber re-coating device comprising an optical fiber coater that cures resin and coats a coating-removed portion of an optical fiber therewith, the optical fiber re-coating device comprising:
a resin reservoir tank that stores the resin which is before subjected to curing;
a pump that supplies the resin stored in the resin reservoir tank to the optical fiber coater; and
an air bubble separator that separates air bubbles from the resin supplied by the pump, sends the resin from which the air bubbles are separated to the optical fiber coater, and returns the resin including the separated air bubbles to the resin reservoir tank, wherein
the resin reservoir tank is separable into an upper lid and a lower reservoir, and
the air bubble separator is attached to a top surface of the upper lid.

2. The optical fiber re-coating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the air bubble separator includes a resin accumulator that has an upper position and a lower position and is a space, the upper position is connected to a resin flow-in passage into which the resin flows from the pump, the lower position is connected to a resin supply passage which sends the resin to the optical fiber coater, and the space is connected to a resin collection passage that is used to return the resin including the separated air bubbles to the resin reservoir tank, and
the resin collection passage is located upper than the resin supply passage.

3. The optical fiber re-coating device according to claim 2 , wherein
a flow rate of the resin flow-in passage is greater than a flow rate of the resin supply passage and a flow rate of the resin collection passage in the air bubble separator.

4. The optical fiber re-coating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a base that supports the optical fiber coater, wherein
the resin reservoir tank, the pump, and the air bubble separator are accommodated in the base and are removable from the base in a state of being connected to each other.

5. An optical fiber re-coating device comprising an optical fiber coater that cures resin and coats a coating-removed portion of an optical fiber therewith, the optical fiber re-coating device comprising:
a resin reservoir tank that stores the resin which is before subjected to curing;
a pump that supplies the resin stored in the resin reservoir tank to the optical fiber coater;
an air bubble separator that separates air bubbles included in the resin from the pump therefrom, sends the resin from which the air bubbles are separated to the optical fiber coater, and returns the resin including the separated air bubbles to the resin reservoir tank; and
a base that supports the optical fiber coater, wherein
the resin reservoir tank, the pump, and the air bubble separator are accommodated in the base and are removable from the base in a state of being connected to each other, wherein
the air bubble separator is attached to a top surface of the resin reservoir tank, wherein
the resin reservoir tank is separable into an upper lid and a lower reservoir, and
the air bubble separator is attached to a top surface of the upper lid.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Kanda Yoshiharu
• Yokota Koichi
• Yoshida Hiroki

Classifications

• B05C3/12

  for treating work of indefinite length · CPC title

• B05C11/1039 Primary

  Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material; Controlling means therefor · CPC title

• C03C25/12 Primary

  General methods of coating; Devices therefor · CPC title

• G02B6/02033

  Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material (G02B1/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05C11/10

  Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title