EP1112979A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and device for controlling the tension applied to an optical fibre
Assignee: Pirelli and C SpA
•
Filing: 2000-12-19
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2020-12-19
Abstract
Abstract Optical fibre tensioning device, receiving at its input an optical fibre (35) from a traction device (37) and capable of supplying the optical fibre from its output to a device (40) for storing the fibre. The tensioning device (1) comprises at least one fixed pulley (32) on which the optical fibre (35) is wound, for a certain length at least, and at least one movable pulley (9) on which the optical fibre (35) is wound, for a certain length at least. A device for measuring the tension applied to the fibre and a motorized device (24, 26, 5, 7) for moving the movable pulley (9) interact with each other to control the distance (Dp) between the axes (33, 20) of the pulleys (32, 9) in such a way as to automatically keep the tension applied to the fibre essentially constant. A method for controlling the tension applied to an optical fibre using such a device is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Giacomo Stefano Roba
- 👤 Roberto Pata
- 👤 Franco Veronelli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 02:14
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H59/00; B65H59/38; B65H59/384; B65H59/385; C; C03; C03B; C03B37/00; C03B37/01; C03B37/02; C03B37/03; C03B37/032; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/30; B65H2701/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
Optical fibre tensioning device, for use in a path
of advance of an optical fibre (35), comprising at
least one movable pulley (9) around which the optical
fibre (35) is wound for a certain length at least; the
position of the said movable pulley (9) being variable
to modify the tension applied to the optical fibre
(35), characterized in that it comprises a tension
measuring device (56) capable of measuring the said
applied tension and of generating a signal indicating
the tension (Tmis), and a motorized movement device
(24, 26, 5, 7, 50) for the said movable pulley (9),
capable of receiving the said signal indicating the
tension (Tmis) and of moving the movable pulley in
accordance with the said signal indicating the tension
(Tmis), to automatically keep the tension applied to
the optical fibre (35) essentially constant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that
it also comprises a fixed pulley (32) around which the
optical fibre (35) is wound for a certain length at
least; the distance (Dp) between the axes (33, 20) of
the said fixed pulley (32) and of the said movable
pulley being variable to modify the tension applied to
the optical fibre; the said motorized movement device
(24, 26, 5, 7) being capable of controlling the said
distance (Dp) to automatically keep the tension applied
to the optical fibre essentially constant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in
that the said motorized movement device (24, 26, 5, 7)
comprises a guide (5) along which a slide (7)
supporting the said movable pulley (9) can be moved,
and an actuator device (26, 24) for moving the said
slide (7) along the said guide (5).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that
the said actuator device comprises a screw (26) which
is rotationally movable under the force of an electric
motor (24) and a nut coupled to the said slide (7).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that
the said actuator device comprises an electric motor
(24) and a motion transmission system of the belt type.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that
it comprises an electronic control device (50) which
receives reference signals (T 0 , P 0 ) and measurement
signals (Tmis, Pmis) at its input, and is capable of
generating, in response to the said input signals,
operating signals (24p, 45p) for the closed-loop
control of the said motorized movement device (24, 26,
5, 7).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
128 words
Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that
the said electronic control device (50) forms a system
for the closed-loop control of the tension applied to
the said optical fibre (35), comprising: a subtractor (60) to which is supplied a tension
reference signal (T 0 ), proportional to a target
tension of the optical fibre, and a measurement
signal (Tmis), consisting of the said signal
indicating the tension; and a controller (62), receiving at its input a
tension error signal (ε = ΔT = T 0 - Tmis) supplied
from the output of the said subtractor (60), and
generating at its output a drive signal (ω) which
can be used to operate the said motorized movement
device (24, 26, 5, 7) and to control the said
distance (Dp).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that
the said controller (62) comprises a proportional-integral
derivative controller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that
the said tension measuring device (56) comprises a load
cell (56) connected to the said fixed pulley (32) and
capable of generating at its output the said signal
indicating the tension (Tmis).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
Device according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in
that the said motorized movement device (24, 26, 5, 7)
comprises a guide (5) along which a slide (7)
supporting the said movable pulley (9) can be moved,
and an actuator device (26, 24) for moving the said
slide (7) along the said guide (5); the said electronic
control device (50) implementing a system for the
closed-loop control of the position of the said slide
(7) along the said guide (5).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
159 words
Device according to Claim 10, characterized in
that it is connected for operation to a device (40) for
storing the optical fibre, capable of receiving the
optical fibre from the tensioning device, and in that
the said system for the closed-loop control of the
position of the said slide (7) along the said guide (5)
comprises: a further subtractor (70) to which is supplied a
position reference signal (P 0 ), correlated with a
reference position of the said slide (7) along the
said guide (5), and a measurement signal (Pmis),
proportional to the actual position of the said
slide (7) along the said guide (5); and a further controller (72), receiving at its input
a position error signal (ε = ΔP = P 0 - Pmis)
supplied from the output of the said further
subtractor (70), and generating at its output a
further drive signal (ωb) which can be used (45p)
to operate the said storage device (40).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
Device according to Claim 11, characterized in
that the said further controller (72) comprises a
proportional-integral derivative controller.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
Device according to Claim 11, characterized in
that the said storage device (40) comprises at least
one motorized reel (42) on which the optical fibre (35)
from the said tensioning device (1) is wound, the said
motorized reel (42) being rotationally movable about an
axis of rotation (43) under the action of an electric
motor (45), and the said further drive signal (ωb)
being usable (45p) for the control of the said electric
motor (45).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
Device according to Claim 11, characterized in
that the said electronic control device (50) comprises
an integrator (66) receiving at its input a signal (V)
correlated with the speed of movement of the said slide
(7) along the said guide (5) and generating at its
output the said measurement signal (Pmis) proportional
to the actual position of the said slide (7) along the
said guide (5).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
105 words
Method of controlling the tension applied to an
optical fibre along a path of advance of an optical
fibre (35), the said method comprising the stage of
forming a portion (35b) of the said path having a
length (Dp) which can be varied to modify the tension
applied to the said fibre, characterized in that it comprises the stage of
measuring (56) the tension applied to the optical fibre
and the stage of controlling the said length (Dp) in an
automatic way, by means of a motor, in accordance with
the said measured tension, to keep the tension applied
to the optical fibre practically constant.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
73 words
Method according to Claim 15, characterized in
that it comprises the stage of closed-loop control of
the tension applied to the said optical fibre in
accordance with at least one reference signal (T 0 ),
proportional to a target tension of the fibre, and a
measurement signal (Tmis) which is generated in the
said stage of measuring the tension and is proportional
to the tension to which the optical fibre is actually
subjected.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
Method according to Claim 16, characterized in
that the said stage of closed-loop control of the
tension comprises the stages of: comparing (60) the said tension reference signal
(T 0 ) with the said measurement signal (Tmis), generating
a tension error signal (ε = ΔT = T 0 - Tmis); and processing (62) the said error signal, generating
at the output a drive signal (ω) which can be used
(24p) to modify the said length (Dp) by means of a
motor and to keep the tension in the fibre essentially
constant.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
83 words
Method according to Claim 15, characterized in
that it comprises the stage of closed-loop control of
the position of a movable member (7) in accordance with
at least one position reference signal (P 0 ) which is
proportional to a target position of the said movable
member, and a measurement signal (Pmis) which is
proportional to the instantaneous position of the said
movable member, the variation of the position of the
said movable member (7) causing the variation of the
said length (Dp).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
104 words
Method according to Claim 18, characterized in
that the optical fibre is stored at the end of the said
advance path, and in that the said stage of closed-loop
control of the position of the said movable member
comprises the stages of: comparing (70) the said position reference signal
(P 0 ) with the said position measurement signal (Pmis),
generating a position error signal (ε = ΔP = P 0 - Pmis);
and processing (72) the said position error signal,
generating at the output a drive signal (ωb) which can
be used (45p) to modify the speed at which the optical
fibre is stored.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
175 words
Optical fibre processing system, comprising a
source of optical fibre (37), an optical fibre
tensioning device (1) capable of receiving at its input
the optical fibre (35) from the source of optical fibre
(37), and an optical fibre storage device (40) capable
of receiving the optical fibre from the tensioning
device (1), the said tensioning device (1) comprising
at least one movable pulley (9) around which the
optical fibre (35) is wound, for a certain length at
least; the position of the said movable pulley (9)
being variable to modify the tension applied to the
said optical fibre; the said system being characterized
in that the said tensioning device (1) comprises a
tension measuring device (56) capable of measuring the
said applied tension and of generating a signal
indicating the tension (Tmis), and a motorized movement
device (7, 24, 26) capable of receiving the said signal
indicating the tension and of moving the movable pulley
(9) in accordance with the said signal indicating the
tension, to automatically keep the tension in the fibre
essentially constant.
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