Apparatus for removing a coating
AssigneeNyfors Teknologi AB
InventorUwe Böttcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for and method of removing a protecting synthetic coating (1) from an elongated element (2) in the form of an optical fiber (3) surrounded by the coating wherein a cut (8) is created into the coating by knife edges (6). The element is displaced with respect to the knife edges in the longitudinal direction of the element for displacing coating material (17) by the knives. At least one drop of liquid (12) with wetting properties is supplied to the cut for being sucked into a space created between the coating and the optical fiber during the displacement for acting as a lubricant for sliding the coating along the fiber to remove the coating from the fiber.
Claims4
An apparatus for removing a protecting synthetic coating (1) from an elongated element (2), said elongated element (2) in the form of an optical fibre (3) surrounded by said coating (1), for exposing an outer surface (15) of the fibre, said apparatus comprising:
- means (4) for holding said element (2) for removal of said coating (1),
- at least two knives (5) with cutting edges (6),
- means (7) for moving said knives (5) and the cutting edges (6) thereof in transverse directions toward one another from at least two substantially opposite directions, whereby said knives are movable to create a cut (8) into said coating (1) through a substantial part of the thickness of the coating (1) without reaching said fibre (3),
- an arrangement (13) for displacing holding means (4) in a longitudinal direction away from said knives, said transverse directions being transverse to said longitudinal direction, to displace coating material (17) from a position (14) of said cut (8) as the holding means is moved in the longitudinal direction to expose a fibre surface (15) thereunder and create a space between said coating (1) and said optical fibre (3), and
- a nozzle (11) configured to supply at least one drop of liquid (12) with wetting properties to said cut (8) formed in said element (2) held by said holding means (4), said nozzle (11) being longitudinally positioned between said holding means (4) and said knives (5) so as to be positioned between the displaced coating material and the position (14) of said cut (8) to introduce liquid into the space between said coating and said optical fibre (3),
- said knives (5) configured to jointly form a funnel-shaped cavity (9), and said nozzle (11) disposed adjacent the funnel-shaped cavity (9) for receiving said liquid by said funnel-shaped cavity (9), whereby when said knives (5) are moved towards each other to jointly form the funnel-shaped cavity, said knives will extend substantially through the entire thickness of said coating (1), and
- said nozzle (11) directed at an angle with respect to said longitudinal and transverse directions towards said funnel-shaped cavity (9).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.