Apparatus and method for reducing whip damage on wound optical fiber

• US 10,640,322 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Faler, Bret Cooper
• Primary Examiner(s): Dondero, William E
• Application Number:
  US16/125,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20190100402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/32 Optical fibres or optical cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/72 Framework; Casings; Coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 57/003 Arrangements for threading or unthreading the guide
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 57/04 Guiding surfaces within slots or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 63/024 responsive to breakage of materials

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing fiber whip damage to optical fiber wound on a fiber winding spool is provided. The apparatus includes a fiber entry feed mechanism operatively coupled to the fiber winding spool to feed the optical fiber onto the fiber winding spool. The apparatus also includes a whip shield arranged to substantially surround the fiber winding spool. The whip shield includes a first surface aligned with and facing the fiber winding spool within an entry slot that is laterally offset from a second surface. The first surface transitions to the second surface such that a loose end of the optical fiber is initially directed into the entry slot away from the fiber winding spool and transitions to the second surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing fiber whip damage to optical fiber wound on a fiber winding spool, comprising:

a whip shield arranged to substantially surround the fiber winding spool, the whip shield comprising a first surface aligned with and facing the fiber winding spool within an entry slot aligned with the fiber fed from a moving source of fiber such that a loose end of the optical fiber during a fiber break event is directed into the entry slot away from the fiber winding spool and against the first surface;

the whip shield comprising a second surface facing the spool, wherein the first surface of the entry slot transitions to the second surface so that the loose end of the optical fiber is transitioned from the first surface onto the second surface, wherein the first surface retained within the entry slot has a curved shape with varying radii and the second surface has a substantially uniform radius.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the entry slot is laterally offset from the second surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the entry slot transitions from the first surface to the second surface within one rotation of the fiber winding spool.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the whip shield is substantially ring-shaped, and wherein the entry slot is substantially helical-shaped.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a fiber entry feed mechanism operatively coupled to the fiber winding spool to feed the optical fiber onto the fiber winding spool.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fiber entry feed mechanism comprises a fiber entry whip reducer.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fiber entry feed mechanism comprises at least one exit pulley.

8. A method for reducing fiber whip damage to fiber wound on a fiber winding spool, the method comprising the steps of:

feeding optical fiber from an optical fiber source onto the fiber winding spool;

directing a loose end of the fiber into an entry slot formed having an inner first surface in a whip shield; and

redirecting the loose end of the fiber from the entry slot to a smooth continuos second surface on an inner surface of the whip shield, wherein the first surface of the entry slot has a curved shape with varying radii and the second surface has a substantially uniform radius.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first surface of the entry slot transitions to the second surface so that the loose end of the optical fiber is directed through the entry slot and onto the second surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the entry slot transitions from the first surface to the second surface within one rotation of the fiber winding spool.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second surface of the whip shield is substantially ring-shaped, and wherein the entry slot is substantially helical-shaped.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of feeding comprises feeding the optical fiber from the optical fiber source through a fiber entry feed mechanism and onto the fiber winding spool.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the fiber entry feed mechanism comprises a fiber entry whip reducer comprising a curved surface which is positioned to align with and transfer the loose broken fiber end onto the inner first surface.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the fiber entry feed mechanism comprises at least one exit pulley.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the entry slot is laterally offset from the second surface.