Fiber entry whip reduction apparatus and method therefor

• US 6,152,399 A
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Chester Hann Huei, Watson, Johnnie Edward, Roberts, Kenneth William
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen, Michael R.
• Application Number:
  US09/340,485
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 242/615.2, 242/615.3, 242/920, 242/157 R, 242/153, 242/474.5, 242/474.9, 242/475.7, 242/548, 242/899, 226/89, 226/90
• US Class Current: 242/615.3
• 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: Y10S 242/92 Glass strand winding

Abstract

An apparatus and method for reducing or preventing fiber entry whip as the loose end of a fiber being wound on a spool enters a fiber winding device. A fiber winding device comprises a spool winder entrance, a winding spool and a fiber whip shield substantially surrounding the winding spool. A fiber entry whip reducer positioned in front of the fiber winding device comprises at least one pulley and a guide channel including a straight entry section and a curved section leading to the fiber winding device. The guide channel is formed and positioned such that the loose end of the fiber is maintained against the guide channel by centrifugal force imparted onto the fiber by the curvature of the channel and forward motion of the fiber produced by the rotating spool, thereby producing a trajectory such that the loose end of the fiber enters the fiber winding device and is maintained against the whip shield. By maintaining the free end of the fiber against the guide channel during fiber entry, whip damage to the fiber on the spool due to impact of the fiber end during its entry is substantially reduced or completely eliminated.

Claims

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

a fiber entry whip reducer positioned upstream of the fiber winding spool, said fiber entry whip reducer defining a guide channel through which the optical fiber passes, and being positioned with respect to the fiber winding spool such that a loose end of the optical fiber is directed away from the fiber winding spool.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a whip shield constructed and arranged to substantially surround the fiber winding spool.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fiber entry whip reducer directs the loose end of the fiber against the whip shield as the loose end of the fiber exits the whip reducer and enters through an opening in the whip shield.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the guide channel is positioned with respect to said whip shield such that it guides the loose end of the fiber along a path which mitigates against fiber whipping.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fiber entry whip reducer comprises at least one exit pulley.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one exit pulley resides at least partially within the guide channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guide channel includes a substantially straight section and a curved section, said curved section for altering the trajectory of the loose end of the optical fiber prior to the loose end of the optical fiber exiting said fiber entry whip reducer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removable barrier shield substantially surrounding said fiber entry whip reducer.

9. A method for reducing fiber whip damage to fiber wound on a spool said method comprising the steps of:

feeding optical fiber from an optical fiber source through a fiber entry whip reducer and onto the spool, said fiber entry whip reducer comprising a guide channel;

restricting movement of the optical fiber, including a loose end thereof, within said guide channel; and

directing the loose end of the optical fiber away from the spool as the loose end of the optical fiber passes through the guide channel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said directing step comprises the step of altering the trajectory of the loose end of the optical fiber with said guide channel.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the spool is substantially surrounded by a whip shield, and wherein said directing step comprises guiding the loose end of the optical fiber against said whip shield.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said directing step further comprises guiding the loose end of the optical fiber against an inner surface of said whip shield.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising substantially maintaining the loose end of the optical fiber against the guide channel and guiding said loose end of the optical fiber along said guide channel to produce a fiber trajectory such that the loose end of the optical fiber is guided onto the whip shield.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said restricting step comprises the step of capturing the loose end of the optical fiber against the guide channel with the assistance of centrifugal force imparted to the optical fiber by rotation of the spool.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said guide channel includes a curved section and a substantially straight section, said restricting step comprising the step of controlling the loose end of the optical fiber with the substantially straight section of the guide channel to calm fiber whipping.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said restricting step further comprising the step of guiding the loose end of the optical fiber along the curved section to produce a fiber trajectory such that the loose end of the fiber is directed away from the spool.

17. An apparatus for reducing optical fiber whip following an optical fiber break upstream of a fiber winding spool, said apparatus comprising:

a fiber entry whip reducer positioned upstream of the fiber winding spool, said fiber entry whip reducer defining a guide channel, an end of the guide channel positioned with respect to the fiber winding spool such that a loose end of the optical fiber passing through the guide channel is directed away from the fiber winding spool as the loose end of the fiber exits said fiber entry whip reducer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said fiber entry whip reducer comprises a back plate and a face plate, one of said back plate and said face plate being moveable with respect to the other of said back plate or said face plate.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said back plate includes a plurality of slots and wherein said face plate includes an opposing plurality of teeth, the plurality of slots and the plurality of teeth being constructed and arranged to interlock to define said guide channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said fiber entry whip reducer further comprises at least one pulley positioned at least partially within said guide channel.