Method of and apparatus for winding a precision optical fiber coil

摘要

During the formation of an optical fiber coil on an elongated rotationally symmetrical support element, the tension applied to the optical fiber as it is being wound into the coil is gradually or incrementally decreased as the superimposed layers of the optical fiber coil are being deposited on top of one another in the radially outward direction. Thus, the force applied to the fiber as it approaches the take-up location on the support element to achieve the desired longitudinal tension in the optical fiber may decrease from the range substantially betwen 150 to 300 grams initially to the range of substantially between 50 and 70 grams as the optical fiber coil nears completion. An apparatus for winding the optical fiber coil includes the arrangements needed for monitoring the progress of the winding operation and for adjusting the various parameters of such operation accordingly. An optical fiber coil arrangement obtained in this manner has very low optical losses even at extreme temperatures.