Automatic fiber stripping system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816731-B2
Application number	US-201815897786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2018
Priority date	Aug 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

An automatic fiber stripping system comprises a first stripping module, a second stripping module, and a heating device. The first stripping module and the second stripping module each have a stripping belt, a driven belt wheel, a driving belt wheel, and a stripping tool including a pressing portion. The stripping belts are tightened on the pressing portions and the stripping tools press the stripping belts on each of two opposite sides of an optical cable. A blade portion of one of the stripping tools cuts a notch in at least one of two side edges of an outer coating layer of the optical cable. The heating device heats and softens the outer coating layer of the optical cable. The stripping belts are driven to move relative to the optical cable by the driving belt wheels so as to strip off a segment of the outer coating layer from the notch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic fiber stripping system, comprising:
a first stripping module having:
a first stripping belt;
a first driving wheel driving the first stripping belt wound thereon;
a first driven wheel driven by the first stripping belt wound thereon;
a first stripping tool having:
a blade portion adapted to cut a notch in at least one of two side edges of an outer coating layer of an optical cable; and
a pressing portion adapted to press the first stripping belt for tightening the first stripping belt; and

a first pair of rollers disposed on opposite sides of the first stripping tool for supporting the first stripping belt;
a second stripping module having:
a second stripping belt;
a second driving wheel driving the second stripping belt wound thereon;
a second driven wheel driven by the second stripping belt wound thereon;
a second stripping tool having a pressing portion adapted to press the second stripping belt for tightening the second stripping belt, the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool configured to press the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt on each of two opposite sides of the optical cable for clamping the optical cable between the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt; and
a second pair of roller disposed on opposite sides of the second stripping tool for supporting the second stripping belt; and

a heating device configured to heat and soften the outer coating layer of the optical cable, the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel configured to drive the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt, so as to strip off a segment of the outer coating layer from the notch which has been softened by the heating device.

2. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 1 , wherein the first stripping module is mounted on a first mounting plate and the second stripping module is mounted on a second mounting plate, and the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are movable relative to each other such that the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool are movable relative to each other so as to selectively clamp the optical cable.

3. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 2 , wherein the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are movably mounted on a same stationary baseplate and the first mounting plate is located above the second mounting plate.

4. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 3 , wherein the stationary baseplate has a rail extending vertically, the first mounting plate has a first slider slidably engaged with the rail so as to move upward and downward along the rail, and the second mounting plate has a second slider slidably engaged with the rail so as to move upward and downward along the rail.

5. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 3 , further comprising a cover plate mounted on the stationary baseplate, a space for receiving the first stripping module and the second stripping module is defined between the cover plate and the baseplate and the cover plate has an opening through which the cable is placed between the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool.

6. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 2 , further comprising a plate driving mechanism adapted to drive movement of the first mounting plate.

7. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 1 , further comprising an air-jet device adapted to propel air towards the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool.

8. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 7 , wherein the air-jet device is mounted on one of the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate.

9. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 1 , further comprising a cable carrying mechanism adapted to place the optical cable to be stripped on the second stripping tool and to move the stripped optical cable out of the second stripping tool.

10. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 1 , wherein the second stripping tool has a blade portion adapted to cut a further notch in at least one of the two side edges of the outer coating layer.

11. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 1 , wherein the first stripping module has a first tightening roller moveable between a plurality of positions relative to the first stripping tool and engaging with the first stripping belt to adjust a tension of the first stripping belt and the second stripping module has a second tightening roller moveable between a plurality of positions relative to the second stripping tool and engaging with the second stripping belt to adjust a tension of the second stripping belt.

12. An automatic fiber stripping system, comprising:
a first stripping module mounted on a first mounting plate and having:
a first stripping belt;
a first driving wheel driving the first stripping belt wound thereon;
a first driven wheel driven by the first stripping belt wound thereon; and
a first stripping tool having:
a blade portion adapted to cut a notch in at least one of two side edges of an outer coating layer of an optical cable; and
a pressing portion adapted to press the first stripping belt for tightening the first stripping belt; and

a second stripping module mounted on a second mounting plate and having:
a second stripping belt;
a second driving wheel driving the second stripping belt wound thereon;
a second driven wheel driven by the second stripping belt wound thereon; and
a second stripping tool having a pressing portion adapted to press the second stripping belt for tightening the second stripping belt, the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool configured to press the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt on each of two opposite sides of the optical cable for clamping the optical cable between the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt; and

a heating device configured to heat and soften the outer coating layer of the optical cable, the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel configured to drive the first stripping belt and the second stripping belt, so as to strip off a segment of the outer coating layer from the notch which has been softened by the heating device,
wherein the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are movable relative to each other such that the first stripping tool and the second stripping tool are movable relative to each other so as to selectively clamp the optical cable.

13. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 12 , wherein the heating device has a first heating device adapted to heat the first stripping tool and the outer coating layer of the optical cable through the first stripping tool, and a second heating device adapted to heat the second stripping tool and the outer coating layer of the optical cable through the second stripping tool.

14. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 13 , wherein the first heating device has a first heat conductive block and the first stripping tool is mounted on the first heat conductive block or directly thermally contacts the first heat conductive block, and the second heating device has a second heat conductive block and the second stripping tool is mounted on the second heat conductive block or directly thermally contacts the second heat conductive block.

15. The automatic fiber stripping system of claim 12 , wherein the first stripping module has a pair of first rollers disposed on opposite sides of the first stripping tool for supporting the first stripping belt, and the second stripping module has a pair of second rollers disposed on opposite sides of the second stripping t

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• Te Connectivity Corp
• Shenzhen Ami Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xie Fengchun
• Zeng Qinglong
• Zhang Yu
• Zhang Dandan
• Hu lvhai
• Lu Roberto Francisco-Yi

Classifications

• G02B6/3833 Primary

  Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture · CPC title

• G02B6/3898

  Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping (tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B) · CPC title

• G02B6/245 Primary

  Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/4403

  with ribbon structure (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title