Coated optical fiber producing apparatus and coated optical fiber producing method

A coated optical fiber producing apparatus of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the apparatus comprising:

• a feeder feeding the coated optical fiber with no twist, and functioning as an upstream twist which inhibiting unit which inhibits a rotation of the coated optical fiber, the rotation of the coated optical fiber being induced by the twist generated downstream;
• a winder winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin;
• a twist provider providing the twist to the coated optical fiber;
• and
• a twist non-inhibiting roller, arranged between the feeder and the twist provider, not inhibiting the rotation of the coated optical fiber around the axis of the coated optical fiber, the twist non-inhibiting roller maintaining a path line of the coated optical fiber between the upstream twist inhibiting roller and the twist provider in a bent state.

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber on a path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging an upstream twist inhibiting roller which inhibits a rotation of the coated optical fiber around the axis of the coated optical fiber upstream of the twist provider, with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging a twist non-inhibiting roller which does not inhibit the rotation of the coated optical fiber around the axis of the coated optical fiber, on the path line of the coated optical fiber located between the upstream twist inhibiting roller and the twist provider;
• supplying the coated optical fiber with no twist;
• setting the arrangement location of the twist non-inhibiting roller so that the path line of the coated optical fiber located between the upstream twist inhibiting roller and the twist provider is bent;
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the upstream twist inhibiting roller, the twist non-inhibiting roller and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin.

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the a coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber on a path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging, upstream of the twist provider with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber, a feeder which supplies the coated optical fiber with no twist and which inhibits a rotation of the coated optical fiber the rotation of the coated optical fiber being induced by the twist generated downstream;
• arranging a twist non-inhibiting roller which does not inhibit the rotation of the coated optical fiber, on the path line of the coated optical fiber located between the feeder and the twist provider;
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the feeder, the twist non-inhibiting roller and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin.

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber, on the path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging an upstream roller upstream of the twist provider, with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber;
• supplying the coated optical fiber with no twist;
• setting a positional relationship of the upstream roller and the twist provider such that when a twist period is defined as LP and a twist amplitude of the twist provider is defined as γr, a length L1 of the pass line of the coated optical fiber from the upstream roller to the twist provider satisfies the relationship set forth in the following formula (3);
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the upstream roller and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin:
• L
• 1
• ≥
• L
• p
• 2
• ⁢
• ⁢
• π
• ⁢
• γ
• r
• 2
• -
• 1
• .
• (
• 3
• )

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber, on a path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging, upstream of the twist provider with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber, a feeder which supplies the coated optical fiber with no twist and which inhibits a rotation of the coated optical fiber, the rotation of the coated optical fiber being induced by the twist generated downstream;
• setting a positional relationship of the feeder and the twist provider such that when a twist period is defined as LP and a twist amplitude of the twist provider is defined as γr, a length L1 of the path line of the coated optical fiber from the feeder to the twist provider satisfies the relationship set forth in the following formula (4);
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the feeder and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin:
• L
• 1
• ≥
• L
• p
• 2
• ⁢
• ⁢
• π
• ⁢
• γ
• r
• 2
• -
• 1
• .
• (
• 4
• )

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being providing with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber, on the path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging an upstream roller upstream of the twist provider, with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber;
• supplying the coated optical fiber with no twist;
• setting a positional relationship of the upstream roller and the twist provider such that a twist period is assumed to be 20 m and a product (γrTRF2) of a twist amplitude γr of the twist provider and a twist release factor TRF2 after the twist provider is assumed to be 10 turns/m, a length L1 of a path line of the coated optical fiber from the upstream roller to the twist provider is 1 m or more;
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the upstream roller and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin.

A coated optical fiber producing method of producing a coated optical fiber having a glass optical fiber, which is constituted by a glass core region and a glass cladding region provided on an outer periphery of the core region, and a resin layer coated on a surface of the glass optical fiber, the coated optical fiber being wound onto a bobbin in a state of being provided with a twist, the producing method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a twist provider which provides the twist to the coated optical fiber, on a path line of the coated optical fiber;
• arranging, upstream of the twist provider with respect to a traveling direction of the coated optical fiber, a feeder which supplies the coated optical fiber with no twist and which inhibits a rotation of the coated optical fiber, the rotation of the coated optical fiber being induced by the twist generated downstream;
• setting a positional relationship of the feeder and the twist provider such that a twist period is assumed to be 20 m and a product (γrTRF2) of a twist amplitude γr of the twist provider and a twist release factor TRF2 after the twist provider is assumed to be 10 turns/m, a length L1 of a path line of the coated optical fiber from the feeder to the twist provider is 1 m or more;
• providing the twist to the coated optical fiber by passing the coated optical fiber over the feeder and the twist provider in this order;
• and
• winding the coated optical fiber, to which the twist has been provided, onto the bobbin.