Optical fiber manufacturing apparatus and method of starting optical fiber manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10641945-B2
Application number	US-201916575641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2019
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

An optical fiber manufacturing apparatus includes a heating furnace configured to heat and melt an optical fiber preform; a pulling mechanism configured to adjust an outer diameter of a glass optical fiber by drawing out the glass optical fiber from the optical fiber preform melted through the heating by the heating furnace, and to draw the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter; a coating mechanism configured to apply a predetermined resin on an outer circumference of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter; and a transport mechanism configured to returnably retract the coating mechanism from a passage route of the glass optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a heating furnace configured to thermally melt an optical fiber preform;
a pulling mechanism configured to adjust an outer diameter of a glass optical fiber by drawing out the glass optical fiber from the optical fiber preform melted through heating by the heating furnace, and to draw the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter;
a coating mechanism configured to apply a predetermined resin on an outer circumference of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter; and
a transport mechanism configured to returnably retract the coating mechanism from a passage route of the glass optical fiber.

2. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a measuring device configured to measure the outer diameter of the glass optical fiber between the heating furnace and the coating mechanism.

3. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a hardware processor configured to control the pulling mechanism, based on the outer diameter of the glass optical fiber measured by the measuring device.

4. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the measuring device further measures a passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter, and
a control unit controls a return position of the coating mechanism, based on the measured passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter.

5. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising:
a holding mechanism for holding the optical fiber preform and adjusting a relative position of the optical fiber preform to the heating furnace, wherein
a control unit controls the holding mechanism to separate the optical fiber preform from a heater of the heating furnace, after stopping the draw-out of the glass optical fiber.

6. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulling mechanism includes a capstan configured to allow the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter to be wound therearound.

7. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coating mechanism includes a die having a through hole that allows the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter to pass therethrough.

8. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism includes
a support configured to support the coating mechanism, and
a driver configured to pneumatically, hydraulically, or electrically move the supported coating mechanism closer to or away from a passage route of the glass optical fiber.

9. The optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the measuring device includes a light source and a light detector that are arranged to allow a passage route of the glass optical fiber to be interposed therebetween.

10. A start-up method for an optical fiber manufacturing apparatus, which is to thermally melt an optical fiber preform by a heating furnace; draw, by a pulling mechanism, a glass optical fiber having a desired outer diameter from the optical fiber preform; apply, by a coating mechanism, a predetermined resin on an outer circumference of the glass optical fiber that has been drawn; and manufacture the optical fiber having a coating layer formed on the outer circumference by curing of the predetermined resin, the method comprising:
retracting, by the pulling mechanism, the coating mechanism from a passage route of the glass optical fiber drawn out from the optical fiber preform;
drawing out, by the pulling mechanism, the glass optical fiber from the optical fiber preform such that an outer diameter of the glass optical fiber is adjusted; and
returning the coating mechanism onto a passage route of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter.

11. The start-up method for the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus, according to claim 10 , the method further comprising:
measuring the outer diameter of the glass optical fiber adjusted by the pulling mechanism;
stopping the draw-out of the glass optical fiber by the pulling mechanism, if the measured outer diameter of the glass optical fiber is less than a diameter of an insertion hole of the coating mechanism; and
cutting the glass optical fiber that has been stopped from being drawn out and has been adjusted in outer diameter, wherein
when returning the coating mechanism, the coating mechanism is returned onto the passage route of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter, after the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter is cut.

12. The start-up method for the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus, according to claim 11 , the method further comprising:
measuring a passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter by the pulling mechanism, wherein
when returning the coating mechanism, a return position of the coating mechanism is controlled, based on the measured passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter.

13. The start-up method for the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a relative position of the optical fiber preform to the heating furnace is adjusted such that the optical fiber preform is separated from a heater of the heating furnace after the draw-out of the glass optical fiber has been stopped.

14. The start-up method for the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a relative position of the optical fiber preform to the heating furnace is adjusted such that the optical fiber preform is separated from a heater of the heating furnace after the draw-out of the glass optical fiber has been stopped.

15. The start-up method for the optical fiber manufacturing apparatus, according to claim 10 , the method further comprising:
measuring a passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter by the pulling mechanism, wherein
when returning the coating mechanism, a return position of the coating mechanism is controlled, based on the measured passage position of the glass optical fiber that has been adjusted in outer diameter.

Assignees

• Furukawa Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Takashi

Classifications

• C03C25/12

  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

• G02B6/0065 Primary

  Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects · CPC title

• B29D11/00875

  on light guides · CPC title

• B29D11/00721

  involving preforms for the manufacture of light guides · CPC title