Apparatus and method for assembling optical cable

An apparatus for assembling an optical cable along a line axis comprising:

• a spacer paying-out portion, having a supply reel on which a grooved spacer having an elongated plastic rod with a plurality of spiral grooves in its circumferential surface is wound, for paying-out said spacer therefrom while revolving around a line axis;
• a stationary supply unit for supplying a plurality of optical fiber ribbons to be inserted into respective spiral grooves of said spacer;
• a gathering portion for inserting and holding said optical fiber ribbons in the respective spiral grooves of the spacer running forward and rotating on its center axis to form a cable core;
• a taking-up portion, having a taking-up reel on which said cable core is, for winding the cable core on the taking-up reel while revolving around the line axis;
• a first winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said spacer, said first winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently before said gathering portion in a spacer conveying direction;
• and
• a second winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said cable core, said second winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently after said gathering portion in the spacer conveying direction,
• wherein said first and second winding rollers are revolved around the line axis in synchronization with the revolution of the spacer paying-out portion,
• wherein said first winding roller is disposed between the spacer paying-out portion and the gathering portion and said second winding roller is disposed between the gathering portion and the taking-up portion, and
• wherein each of said first and second winding roller comprises a rotary roller with a roller surface on which one of said spacer and said cable core is wound, said rotary roller having a side roller for pushing the one along the roller surface in parallel with an axial direction of the rotary roller.

An apparatus for assembling an optical cable along a line axis comprising:

• a spacer paying-out portion, having a supply reel on which a grooved spacer having an elongated plastic rod with a plurality of spiral grooves in its circumferential surface is wound, for paying-out said spacer therefrom while revolving around a line axis;
• a stationary supply unit for supplying a plurality of optical fiber ribbons to be inserted into respective spiral grooves of said spacer;
• a gathering portion for inserting and holding said optical fiber ribbons in the respective spiral grooves of the spacer running forward and rotating on its center axis to form a cable core;
• a taking-up portion, having a taking-up reel on which said cable core is, for winding the cable core on the taking-up reel while revolving around the line axis;
• a first winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said spacer, said first winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently before said gathering portion in a spacer conveying direction;
• and
• a second winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said cable core, said second winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently after said gathering portion in the spacer conveying direction,
• wherein said first and second winding rollers are revolved around the line axis in synchronization with the revolution of the spacer paying-out portion,
• wherein said first winding roller is disposed in the vicinity of a place letting out said spacer in the spacer paying-portion and said second winding roller is disposed in the vicinity of a place entering the cable core in the taking-up portion, and
• wherein each of said first and second winding rollers comprises a rotary roller with a fleeting ring which is rotatably fitted onto a roller surface of the rotary roller.

An apparatus for assembling an optical cable along a line axis comprising:

• a spacer paying-out portion, having a supply reel on which a grooved spacer having an elongated plastic rod with a plurality of spiral grooves in its circumferential surface is wound, for paying-out said spacer therefrom while revolving around a line axis;
• a stationary supply unit for supplying a plurality of optical fiber ribbons to be inserted into respective spiral grooves of said spacer;
• a gathering portion for inserting and holding said optical fiber ribbons in the respective spiral grooves of the spacer running forward and rotating on its center axis to form a cable core;
• a taking-up portion, having a taking-up reel on which said cable core is, for winding the cable core on the taking-up reel while revolving around the line axis;
• a first winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said spacer, said first winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently before said gathering portion in a spacer conveying direction;
• and
• a second winding roller rotating in a rotational direction identical to the rotational direction of the supply reel of the spacer, for winding said cable core, said second winding roller being disposed substantially and adjacently after said gathering portion in the spacer conveying direction,
• wherein said first and second winding rollers are revolved around the line axis in synchronization with the revolution of the spacer paying-out portion,
• wherein said first winding roller is disposed between the spacer paying-out portion and the gathering portion and said second winding roller is disposed between the gathering portion and the taking-up portion, and
• wherein each of said first and second winding rollers comprises a rotary roller with a fleeting ring which is rotatably fitted onto a roller surface of the rotary roller.