Optical fiber ribbon cable and processing device thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical fiber ribbon cable and a processing device thereof, and the optical fiber ribbon cable comprises an optical fiber ribbon which comprises a plurality of optical fiber units; the sleeve is coated outside the optical fiber ribbon; the water-blocking tape is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve in a wrapping manner; the metal pipe is arranged on the outer side of the water-blocking tape in a sleeving mode, the metal pipe is formed by longitudinally wrapping a metal tape, and multiple sets of clamping structures matched with one another are symmetrically arranged on the two side edges of the metal tape; a foaming water-blocking material is arranged between the metal pipe and the water-blocking tape; according to the invention, the embedded clamping structure is arranged on the metal tape and the impressing depth of the groove is controlled, so that the mechanical strength and the water-blocking performance of the metal tape armor layer are ensured, the positioning identification and easy stripping functions of the optical fiber tape are realized, and an automatic optical cable processing device is matched, so that the production efficiency is improved. The continuous cable manufacturing process from wrapping, longitudinal wrapping, impressing, glue spraying to extrusion molding coating can be completed, and the structural reliability, the on-site construction efficiency and the batch manufacturing consistency of the optical cable are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical cable manufacturing, and in particular to an optical fiber ribbon cable and a processing device thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of information technology, society's demand for high-speed, high-capacity communications continues to grow, driving the development of fiber optic cable products towards higher core counts and smaller sizes. In typical application scenarios such as backbone network construction and data center interconnection, market demand for high-core-count fiber optic ribbon cables with 432, 864, and even 1728 cores is showing a significant growth trend. To meet the performance requirements of these cables in terms of mechanical strength and environmental adaptability, existing products generally use a metal ribbon outer armor structure. The metal ribbon armor layer is placed inside the outer sheath to enhance the cable's resistance to external forces and effectively protect the cable core from physical damage.

[0003] However, in this structure, the metal tape typically forms a tight fit with the outer sheath and cable core, and the large outer diameter of the optical cable itself results in high adhesion and friction between the components, significantly increasing the difficulty of stripping the cable during installation. This structural characteristic not only increases the complexity of on-site operations but also significantly reduces installation efficiency. This is especially true in critical construction steps such as fiber fusion splicing and connection, placing higher demands on the operator's technical level, resulting in poor construction convenience and limited on-site implementation efficiency.

[0004] In response to the above problems, several structural improvement schemes for easy-to-strip optical cables have been proposed in the prior art, mainly by optimizing the outer sheath structure to reduce the stripping resistance. For example, patent CN202020785648.5 proposes to set a V-shaped groove on the outer sheath to improve the strippability of the sheath; patent CN201310458039.3 weakens the adhesion strength between the sheath and the inner layer structure by setting a strip-shaped separator inside the sheath; patent CN202022244191.X adopts a mosaic structure design to achieve separability between optical cable components. Although the above schemes have improved the stripping performance of the optical cable to a certain extent, their technical improvements are all concentrated on the outer sheath body, and no targeted structural design and optimization of the metal tape armor layer is carried out. Therefore, it is difficult to be effectively applied to high-core-count optical cables with complex armor structures.

[0005] Because the metal tape armor layer is located within the outer sheath and directly covers the cable core, the structural fit between it and the cable core has a critical impact on the overall stripping performance of the optical cable. It is difficult to significantly reduce the bonding resistance between the metal tape and the cable core simply by adjusting the outer sheath structure. Therefore, when applied to high-core-count optical cables with metal tape armor, existing solutions still face technical issues such as difficulty in stripping, low construction efficiency, and easy damage to the optical fiber structure during operation. There is an urgent need for more innovative solutions at the cable structural level to effectively overcome these shortcomings.

[0006] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the embodiments of the invention that are recited in the claims. No statement herein is admitted to be prior art by virtue of its inclusion in this section. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides an optical fiber ribbon cable, which is used to realize an optical cable structure that can be identified and positioned and is easy to strip, thereby improving the operational convenience of the optical cable during laying and engineering maintenance.

[0008] Fiber optic ribbon cables include:

[0009] an optical fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fiber units;

[0010] a sleeve, covering the outside of the optical fiber ribbon;

[0011] A water-blocking tape is wrapped around the outer surface of the casing;

[0012] A metal tube is sleeved on the outside of the water-blocking tape. The metal tube is formed by longitudinally wrapping the metal tape. Two sides of the metal tape are symmetrically provided with multiple sets of mutually cooperating clamping structures.

[0013] A foamed water-blocking material is provided between the metal tube and the water-blocking tape.

[0014] In one embodiment, the optical fiber ribbon cable further includes an outer sheath, which is sleeved on the outer side of the metal tube.

[0015] In one embodiment, the clamping structure includes a first groove and a second groove. When the metal strip is longitudinally wrapped, the first groove is clamped and connected to the second groove.

[0016] In one embodiment, the foamed water-blocking material is disposed on the outside of the water-blocking tape in an axially symmetrical manner and arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the optical cable.

[0017] In one embodiment, the multiple groups of clamping structures protrude toward the metal tube, so that a gap exists between the water-blocking tape and the metal tube, and the foamed water-blocking material is located in the gap.

[0018] In one embodiment, the shapes of the first groove and the second groove are any one of a quadrilateral, a triangle, a pentagon and a hexagon.

[0019] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the metal belt is a smooth surface, and the roughness value of the inner surface is less than or equal to 0.2.

[0020] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the first groove is coated with an easy-adhesion coating.

[0021] In one embodiment, the thickness of the outer jacket at the first groove is greater than the thickness of the outer jacket in other non-groove areas of the metal strip.

[0022] In one embodiment, a plurality of the optical fiber units are arranged in a matrix shape within the cross section of the optical cable to form the optical fiber ribbon.

[0023] The embodiment of the present invention further provides an optical cable processing device for realizing the continuous manufacturing of optical fiber ribbon cables having a chimeric snap-fit ​​structure and identifiable positioning, thereby improving the degree of automation of optical cable structure molding and product consistency.

[0024] The optical cable processing device is used to process the optical cable. It is equipped with an optical fiber unit pay-off unit, a water-blocking tape pay-off unit, a wrapping machine, a foaming water-blocking material pay-off unit, a metal tape pay-off unit, a metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming table and a stamping machine in sequence along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt.

[0025] The optical fiber ribbon wrapped in the sleeve led out by the optical fiber unit pay-off unit and the water-blocking tape led out by the water-blocking tape pay-off unit enter the wrapping machine, and the wrapping machine wraps the water-blocking tape around the outer surface of the sleeve outside the optical fiber ribbon; the foamed water-blocking material led out by the foamed water-blocking material pay-off unit, the metal tape led out by the metal tape pay-off unit, and the optical fiber ribbon wrapped with the water-blocking tape are conveyed to the metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station;

[0026] The metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station is used to successively wrap the optical fiber tape wrapped with the water-blocking tape with a foamed water-blocking material and a metal tape to form a metal tape armor layer; the embossing machine is used to emboss the clamping area of ​​the metal tape to form a clamping structure.

[0027] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: a glue spraying system for spraying an easy-adhesion coating on the contact surface of the clamping structure.

[0028] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: an injection molding machine for coating the outer surface of the metal tape with an outer sheath material by extrusion to form an optical cable structure.

[0029] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0030] A water tank is used to cool the optical cable structure after extrusion;

[0031] A blow dryer, used to dry the surface of the cooled optical cable structure to remove residual moisture on the surface of the optical cable structure;

[0032] The take-up unit is used to take up the optical cable structure after the drying process.

[0033] In one embodiment, the stamping machine is provided with a replaceable stamping mold, and the stamping shape of the stamping mold is a polygonal structure, and the polygonal structure includes any one of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon or a hexagon.

[0034] In one embodiment, the embossing depths of the first groove and the second groove are less than or equal to the diameter of the foamed water-blocking material.

[0035] The optical fiber ribbon cable and its processing device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned optical cable structure realizes comprehensive optimization of the mechanical strength, waterproof performance and construction operability of the optical cable by sequentially arranging a sleeve, a water-blocking tape, a foamed water-blocking material and a metal tube longitudinally wrapped by a metal ribbon on the outside of the optical fiber ribbon. The sleeve is tightly wrapped around the outside of the optical fiber ribbon, and the water-blocking tape is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve by wrapping, which can effectively block the water vapor from penetrating along the axial direction of the optical cable, thereby improving the long-term operation reliability of the optical cable in high humidity environments. The foamed water-blocking material can play a flexible filling and buffering role. The metal ribbon is longitudinally wrapped to form a metal tube, and multiple sets of mutually cooperating clamping structures are arranged on the edges of both sides of the metal ribbon, so that the metal tube can achieve self-locking closure during the wrapping process, effectively improving the structural stability and continuity of the metal armor layer. The clamping structure not only enhances the overall torsion resistance and tensile resistance of the optical cable, but also forms a clear positioning feature on the optical cable structure, which helps construction personnel quickly identify the starting position of the optical cable stripping, thereby simplifying the on-site operation process and improving construction efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical fiber ribbon cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 Schematic cross-sectional view of the metal ribbon inside the optical fiber ribbon cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the metal belt in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the optical cable processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described here. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0043] In this application, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "center," "vertical," "horizontal," "transverse," and "longitudinal" indicate positions or locations based on the positions or locations shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily intended to better describe this application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the devices, elements, or components indicated to having a specific orientation, or to being constructed or operated in a specific orientation.

[0044] Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to express other meanings besides indicating a position or location. For example, the term "on" may also be used to indicate a dependency or connection in certain circumstances. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "installed," "disposed," "provided with," "connected," "connected," and "socketed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integral structures; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0046] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in this application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0047] In order to solve the technical problems of existing high-core-count optical fiber ribbon cables, such as difficulty in stripping, low operating efficiency, and easy damage to the optical fiber structure during construction, the present invention provides an optical fiber ribbon cable and a processing device thereof. In view of the high adhesion and friction resistance caused by the close fit between the metal ribbon and the cable core and the outer sheath in traditional optical cables, the optical cable structure design of this application adopts a metal ribbon with grooves, and the metal ribbon is in direct contact with the cable core only at its recessed points when covering the cable core, and a structural gap is retained at the recessed points, thereby achieving "discontinuous contact" between the metal ribbon and the cable core at the structural level. This optical cable structure effectively reduces the adhesion strength between the metal ribbon and the cable core, and significantly improves the strippability of the optical cable during construction.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, an optical fiber ribbon cable includes an optical fiber ribbon 101 , a sleeve 102 , a water-blocking tape 103 , a metal tube 104 and a foamed water-blocking material 105 .

[0049] The optical fiber ribbon 101 includes a plurality of optical fiber units 1001 .

[0050] For example, the optical fiber unit 1001 can be a single-core structure or a multi-core structure, usually arranged in a ribbon form to achieve a compact optical fiber layout. The optical fiber ribbon 101 can be designed to contain optical fiber units with hundreds to thousands of cores according to the transmission capacity requirements to adapt to the application scenarios of high-core-count communication systems. In order to ensure that the optical fiber ribbon 101 maintains structural stability and flexibility during transmission, the optical fiber ribbon 101 can be fixed and formed by gluing each optical fiber unit 1001 to form a flat, continuous ribbon structure with excellent bending performance, thereby ensuring a high fiber core density while improving the engineering deployability and mechanical reliability of the optical cable.

[0051] The sleeve 102 is wrapped around the outside of the optical fiber ribbon 101 .

[0052] Exemplarily, the sleeve 102 is used to provide effective mechanical protection for the internal optical fiber unit 1001, preventing deformation, misalignment, or damage to the optical fibers due to external forces during cable installation or use, thereby ensuring the stability of the arrangement of the optical fiber units 1001 and the reliability of the cable's transmission performance. The sleeve 102 can be made of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or a low-smoke, halogen-free, flame-retardant material to meet the environmental, safety, and heat-resistance requirements of optical cables in different application scenarios, ensuring that the optical fiber ribbon 101 has excellent flexibility, tensile strength, and processing stability.

[0053] The water blocking tape 103 is wrapped around the outer surface of the sleeve 102 .

[0054] Exemplarily, the water-blocking tape 103 can be arranged on the outer layer of the sleeve 102 in a spiral wrapping or longitudinally coated manner to effectively inhibit the penetration and diffusion of water vapor along the axial direction of the optical cable, thereby improving the waterproof performance of the optical cable in a humid or complex environment. The water-blocking tape 103 can be composed of a polyester tape or a non-woven fabric tape, and its surface is impregnated with a super absorbent resin (SAP) material so that it has the ability to swell when exposed to water. When the optical cable is damp or flooded, the SAP material can quickly absorb water and swell to form a water-blocking barrier, effectively blocking the water channel, thereby ensuring the long-term sealing and operational reliability of the optical cable. The width, thickness and wrapping overlap ratio of the water-blocking tape can be parameterized according to the diameter specification of the optical cable and the target waterproof grade requirements.

[0055] The metal tube 104 is sleeved on the outside of the water-blocking tape 103. The metal tube 104 is formed by longitudinally wrapping the metal tape. Two sides of the metal tape are symmetrically provided with multiple sets of mutually cooperating clamping structures.

[0056] Specifically, the metal tube 104, as the outer reinforcement member of the optical cable, can be made of a high-strength steel strip or an aluminum-plastic composite strip, and is formed by longitudinally wrapping around the water-blocking tape 103. After longitudinal wrapping, it is overlapped and closed by embossing to form a structurally stable metal armor layer. Multiple sets of snap-fit ​​structures are provided on the edges of the metal strip, which can be interlocked and snapped together during the wrapping and closing process, thereby improving the overall stability of the metal armor layer. The metal tube 104 has excellent torsion resistance, tensile strength, and lateral pressure resistance, and can effectively improve the mechanical strength and weather resistance of the optical cable in complex laying environments, thereby ensuring the long-term safe operation of the optical cable.

[0057] A foamed water-blocking material 105 is provided between the metal tube 104 and the water-blocking tape 103 .

[0058] Specifically, multiple foamed water-blocking materials 105 are arranged symmetrically along the axial direction of the optical cable to form a flexible filling layer, which fills the gap area between the metal tube 104 and the water-blocking tape 103. The foamed water-blocking material 105 can be made of water-blocking foam rope, water-blocking yarn, foamed polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) material, which has volume recovery performance and water absorption and expansion ability. It can expand rapidly after being damp and play an effective sealing role. The diameter of the foamed water-blocking material 105 is usually 1 to 10 mm. The number, layout position and density of the foamed water-blocking material 105 can be adjusted according to the specific design parameters of the outer diameter of the optical cable and the embossing depth of the metal tape to achieve reasonable filling of the structural space. By setting the foamed water-blocking material 105, the necessary structural support and buffering function can be provided between the water-blocking tape 103 and the metal tape.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned optical cable structure achieves comprehensive optimization of the optical cable in terms of mechanical strength, waterproof performance and construction operability by sequentially arranging a sleeve, a water-blocking tape, a foamed water-blocking material and a metal tube longitudinally wrapped by a metal tape on the outside of the optical fiber ribbon. The sleeve is tightly wrapped around the outside of the optical fiber ribbon, and the water-blocking tape is arranged on the outer surface of the sleeve by wrapping, which can effectively block the water vapor from penetrating along the axial direction of the optical cable, thereby improving the long-term operation reliability of the optical cable in a high-humidity environment. The foamed water-blocking material can play a flexible filling and buffering role. The metal tape is longitudinally wrapped to form a metal tube, and multiple sets of mutually cooperating clamping structures are arranged on the edges of both sides of the metal tape, so that the metal tube can achieve self-locking closure during the wrapping process, effectively improving the structural stability and continuity of the metal armor layer. The clamping structure not only enhances the overall torsion resistance and tensile resistance of the optical cable, but also forms a clear positioning feature on the optical cable structure, which helps construction personnel quickly identify the starting position of the optical cable stripping, thereby simplifying the on-site operation process and improving construction efficiency.

[0060] In one embodiment, a plurality of optical fiber units 1001 are arranged in a matrix shape within the cross section of the optical cable to form an optical fiber ribbon 101 .

[0061] Specifically, the optical fiber units 1001 are arranged in a ribbon-like adhesive pattern, forming a regular and compact matrix structure across the cable's cross-section, thereby achieving an orderly arrangement and high core density configuration of the optical fiber ribbon 101. This ribbon-like adhesive structure, which secures the individual optical fiber units 1001 relative to each other through an adhesive process, effectively improves the structural stability of the optical fiber ribbon 101, preventing problems such as misalignment and kinking during installation, pulling, or bending, thereby enhancing the mechanical integrity and construction reliability of the optical cable.

[0062] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, multiple groups of snap-fit ​​structures protrude toward the metal tube 104 , so that a gap exists between the water-blocking tape 103 and the metal tube 104 , and the foamed water-blocking material 105 is located in the gap.

[0063] Specifically, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, during the process of longitudinally wrapping the metal tape to form the metal tube 104, a plurality of clamping structures are provided on the overlapping edges thereof. After the wrapping is closed, the clamping structures form a plurality of recessed points 201 spaced apart along the axial direction of the optical cable, thereby forming a structural gap between the water-blocking tape 103 and the metal tube 104, and the foamed water-blocking material 105 is provided in the structural gap.

[0064] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the foamed water-blocking material 105 is arranged on the outside of the water-blocking tape 103 in an axis-symmetrical manner and arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the optical cable.

[0065] Specifically, the metal tape is locally shaped using an embossing mold. During the longitudinal wrapping process, depressions 201 are formed at the overlapped edges. These depressions 201 are spaced apart along the metal tape's overlap line (i.e., the cable's axial direction). When the metal tape is wrapped and closed, these depressions 201 partially contact the water-blocking tape 103 within them, leaving gaps between adjacent depressions 201, forming a continuous interstitial region.

[0066] This structural gap is used to install the foamed water-blocking material 105. Multiple foamed water-blocking materials 105 are symmetrically arranged outside the water-blocking tape 103 and extend parallel to the axial direction of the optical cable. Because the metal tube 104 only contacts the water-blocking tape 103 and the foamed water-blocking material 105 at the locations corresponding to the depressions 201, and maintains a non-contact state between adjacent depressions, a "discontinuous contact" structure is formed between the metal tape and the inner layer of the optical cable.

[0067] This discontinuous contact structure provides a stable filling space for the foamed water-blocking material, and effectively reduces the adhesion and friction resistance between the metal tape and the water-blocking tape 103 or the foamed water-blocking material 105, thereby significantly improving the convenience and operational efficiency of stripping the optical cable during on-site construction.

[0068] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the optical fiber ribbon cable further includes an outer sheath 106 which is sleeved on the outer side of the metal tube 104 .

[0069] Specifically, outer sheath 106 is formed through an extrusion process and applied to the outer surface of metal tube 104, providing mechanical protection and environmental isolation for the entire cable structure. Outer sheath 106 can be made of materials such as polyethylene (PE), low-smoke zero-halogen (LSZH), or flame-retardant polyolefin. These materials exhibit tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and weather resistance, meeting the requirements for long-term service in complex environments.

[0070] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the clamping structure includes a first groove and a second groove. When the metal strip is longitudinally wrapped, the first groove and the second groove are clamped and connected. The first groove is the metal strip groove 107 and the second groove is the metal strip groove 108.

[0071] Specifically, the metal strip is provided with a metal strip groove 107 and a metal strip groove 108 on either side of the metal strip, respectively. The metal strip grooves 107 and 108 match each other in structure and shape. When the metal strip is longitudinally wrapped around the outer sides of the water-blocking tape 103 and the foamed water-blocking material 105 and closed along the overlapping edges, the metal strip grooves 107 precisely fit into the metal strip grooves 108, enabling a chimeric snap-fit ​​connection between the two, thus forming a stable snap-fit ​​structure at the closed portion of the metal strip. This snap-fit ​​structure provides excellent self-locking properties at the metal strip overlap, significantly improving the structural stability and closure reliability of the metal armor layer.

[0072] This interlocking snap-fit ​​structure maintains a stable closed state after stamping, effectively preventing problems such as loosening, warping, or cracking at the metal strip joints, enhancing the structural continuity and mechanical strength of the metal tube, and further improving the overall tensile strength, torsional resistance, and lateral pressure resistance of the optical cable.

[0073] In one embodiment, the shapes of the metal strip grooves 107 and 108 are any of a quadrilateral, a triangle, a pentagon, and a hexagon. The bottom surface shape of the metal strip grooves 107 and 108 is not limited to a specific geometric form, and different types of polygonal profile structures can be selected according to actual application requirements to adapt to different optical cable structures and molding process requirements.

[0074] Specifically, the metal strip groove 107 and the metal strip groove 108 are stamped and formed at one time during the metal strip overmolding process by a stamping mold, and have structural repeatability and geometric positioning accuracy, thereby ensuring the interlocking stability and consistency of the metal strip overlap parts.

[0075] For example, in a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface shape of the metal strip groove 107 and the metal strip groove 108 both adopt a 6mm×6mm quadrilateral structure. On the one hand, the quadrilateral groove can provide sufficient structural gap space for accommodating the foamed water-blocking material 105. On the other hand, it has a high embossing molding stability, which helps to implement local spraying treatment in the recessed area, thereby forming a stable and firm bonding interface with the outer sheath 106.

[0076] Through the reasonable design of the groove shape and size, not only can the fitting accuracy and self-locking reliability of the metal belt overlap be ensured, but also the comprehensive performance of the discontinuous contact structure in terms of anti-stripping, anti-slip and mechanical adaptability can be optimized, thereby significantly improving the structural stability and operational convenience of the optical cable during actual construction and operation.

[0077] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the metal strip is a smooth surface, and the roughness value of the inner surface is less than or equal to 0.2.

[0078] Specifically, the micron-level roughness helps reduce friction and adhesion between the metal tape, the water-blocking tape 103, and the foamed water-blocking material 105, effectively reducing the difficulty of stripping the cable structure and improving ease of operation during on-site construction. The smooth inner surface of the metal tape also improves the tightness and consistency of the clamping structure during the stamping process, enhancing the stability and structural integrity of the metal tube 104 joint, and ensuring the cable's tensile and torsion resistance and maintainability.

[0079] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the metal strip groove 107 is coated with an easy-adhesion coating.

[0080] Specifically, the inner surface of the metal strip groove 107 is evenly coated with an easy-to-adhesive coating by spraying or coating to enhance the bonding strength between the outer sheath 106 and the metal tube 104. The easy-to-adhesive coating can be made of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), which has adhesion and hot-melt properties and can form a stable bonding interface with the outer sheath 106 during the extrusion process, thereby improving the integration and mechanical stability of the optical cable structure.

[0081] In one embodiment, the thickness of the outer jacket 106 at the groove 107 of the metal strip is greater than the thickness of the outer jacket 106 in other non-groove areas of the metal strip.

[0082] Specifically, the outer sheath 106 is evenly coated on the outer surface of the metal tube 104 through an extrusion process. At the location corresponding to the metal strip groove 107, the outer sheath 106 forms a local thickened area. This thickened area not only helps to enhance the bonding strength with the metal strip groove 107 coated with an easy-to-adhere coating, thereby improving the local adhesion between the outer sheath 106 and the metal tube 104, but also forms a clear positioning identification feature on the optical cable structure.

[0083] In other areas of the outer sheath 106 except the metal belt groove 107, the metal belt surface is relatively smooth and the adhesion between the two is low, which facilitates rapid stripping during construction, thereby ensuring the easy stripping performance of the optical cable while maintaining good torsion resistance and withdrawal resistance.

[0084] Furthermore, the change in outer jacket thickness at the metal ribbon groove 107 can serve as an identification mark for the optical cable structure. In practical applications, this thickened area can be used as the default starting point for numbering the cable structure, and the optical fiber ribbons 101 can be numbered from top to bottom according to the cable cross-section. For example, "number 21" represents the first optical fiber unit 1001 of the second optical fiber ribbon from the top to the bottom of the cable cross-section. This numbering scheme eliminates the need for additional markings on the optical fiber ribbon 101, facilitating quick optical fiber location and improving identification efficiency and operational convenience during operations such as fiber splicing and branching stripping.

[0085] In one embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for stripping an optical fiber ribbon cable, which is used to perform a stripping operation on the above optical fiber ribbon cable structure.

[0086] First, the operator makes two circular cuts on the outer jacket 106 at the predetermined stripping locations, forming two annular cuts. Then, a longitudinal cut is made along the cable's axial direction between the two annular cuts to create a longitudinal channel. Because the outer jacket 106 is firmly bonded to the metal tube 104 only at the locations corresponding to the metal strip grooves 107 via the adhesive coating, and the remaining areas are not substantially bonded to the metal tube 104, the stripping operation can begin in the unbonded area between the outer jacket 106 and the metal tube 104.

[0087] The operator begins by peeling the outer jacket 106 from the unbonded area along the longitudinal cutting path until they reach the metal band groove 107. Because the metal band groove 107 and the corresponding metal band groove 108 in this area form a chiseled and snap-fitting structure, the two spontaneously separate during the continuous peeling process, causing the metal band portion with the metal band groove 107 to lift. This process eliminates the need for manual separation of the overlapping metal band edges using tools such as files, as is traditionally done, significantly simplifying the peeling operation.

[0088] Finally, the operator uses a shearing tool to cut the raised metal tape at the appropriate location and continues to peel the outer jacket 106, which is bonded to the metal tape groove 107, along the circumference of the cable until the entire circle of metal tape is removed. This stripping method is simple to operate and has low tool dependence, significantly improving the efficiency of cable stripping and the convenience of on-site construction.

[0089] like Figure 4 As shown, the present invention also provides an optical cable processing device for processing the above-mentioned optical fiber ribbon cable, wherein an optical fiber unit pay-off unit 401, a water-blocking tape pay-off unit 402, a wrapping machine 403, a foamed water-blocking material pay-off unit 404, a metal tape pay-off unit 405, a metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming table 406 and a stamping machine 407 are sequentially arranged along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt 400.

[0090] The optical fiber ribbon 101 wrapped in the sleeve 102 drawn out by the optical fiber unit pay-off unit 401 and the water-blocking tape 103 drawn out by the water-blocking tape pay-off unit 402 enter the wrapping machine 403 , and the wrapping machine 403 wraps the water-blocking tape 103 around the outer surface of the outer sleeve 102 of the optical fiber ribbon 101 .

[0091] Specifically, the optical fiber pay-off unit 401 is used to draw out the optical fiber ribbon 101 coated with the sleeve 102, and the water-blocking tape pay-off unit 402 is used to draw out the water-blocking tape 103. The optical fiber ribbon 101 and the water-blocking tape 103 are transferred to the wrapping machine 403, which wraps the water-blocking tape 103 around the outer surface of the sleeve 102 in a spiral or longitudinal manner to form a cable core structure.

[0092] The foamed water-blocking material 105 drawn from the foamed water-blocking material pay-off unit 404, the metal tape drawn from the metal tape pay-off unit 405, and the optical fiber ribbon 101 coated with the water-blocking tape 103 are conveyed to the metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station 406. The metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station 406 is used to sequentially coat the optical fiber ribbon 101 coated with the water-blocking tape 103 with the foamed water-blocking material 105 and then the metal tape to form a metal tape armor layer.

[0093] Specifically, the foamed water-blocking material pay-off unit 404 draws out several strands of foamed water-blocking material 105, such as water-blocking ropes. Simultaneously, the metal tape pay-off unit 405 draws out a smooth metal tape and transfers the metal tape, cable core structure, and foamed water-blocking material 105 to the metal tape longitudinal wrapping station 406. The metal tape longitudinal wrapping station 406 is used to symmetrically arrange the foamed water-blocking material 105 along the axial direction of the optical cable around the outer periphery of the cable core structure, forming a flexible filling layer. The metal tape longitudinal wrapping operation is then completed, longitudinally wrapping the above structure with the metal tape, thereby constructing a structurally stable metal tape armor layer outside the water-blocking tape 103. To ensure the quality of the metal tape overlap closure, a gap is reserved in the predetermined overlap area where the foamed water-blocking material 105 is not placed to prevent the filler material from interfering with the overlap effect. Through the processing of the metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station 406, a preset "discontinuous contact" structure can be ensured between the metal tape and the cable core structure, effectively improving the structural strength, adhesion performance control ability and coating stability of the metal tape armor layer.

[0094] The stamping machine 407 is used to stamp the clamping area of ​​the metal strip to form a clamping structure.

[0095] Specifically, after the metal tape is coated, the cable core structure coated with the metal tape is transferred to a stamping machine 407, where a stamping mold is used to directionally press the overlapping edges of the metal tape to form a snap-fit ​​structure with a predetermined groove shape. This stamping operation forms a snap-fit ​​structure with interlocking capabilities at the overlapping joints of the metal tape and creates a "discontinuous contact" area between the metal tape and the cable core structure, effectively reducing interfacial adhesion and improving the convenience and operability of subsequent cable stripping.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned optical cable processing device realizes the automation and continuous manufacturing process of optical fiber ribbon cables from cable core construction to armor layer molding by integrating multiple processes such as optical fiber unit pay-off, water-blocking tape wrapping, foamed water-blocking material arrangement, metal tape longitudinal wrapping and embossing molding. By reserving a layout gap for the foamed water-blocking material in the metal tape overlap area, the closing stability of the metal tape coating and the quality of the bonding interface are improved. Furthermore, the stamping machine forms a structured snap-in groove at the overlap edge of the metal tape, which not only enhances the self-locking performance of the metal tape, but also constructs a "discontinuous contact" structure with the cable core in the overlap area, effectively reducing the adhesion and friction when the outer sheath is peeled off, making the optical cable easy to peel. The optical cable processing device as a whole takes into account the high strength, waterproofness and construction convenience of the optical cable structure.

[0097] In one embodiment, the stamping machine 407 is provided with a replaceable stamping mold, and the stamping shape of the stamping mold is a polygonal structure, which includes any one of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon or a hexagon, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0098] In one embodiment, the optical cable processing device further includes a glue spraying system 408 for spraying an easy-to-adhere coating on the contact surface of the clamping structure.

[0099] Specifically, after the metal tape is stamped, the stamped cable core structure is transferred to a glue spraying system 408. This system 408 sprays the inner surface of the metal tape groove 107 with a uniform coating of a highly adhesive coating, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). This spraying process effectively enhances the interfacial adhesion strength between the outer sheath 106 and the metal tape in the groove area, ensuring the overall bonding strength of the optical cable structure, improving the bond stability between the metal tape armor layer and the outer sheath 106, and enhancing the cable's pull-out resistance.

[0100] In order to ensure that the metal belt does not over-compact the foamed water-blocking material 105 after forming the groove area, thereby avoiding affecting the flexible filling performance and water-blocking function of the foamed water-blocking material 105, the embossing depth of the metal belt groove is precisely controlled so that the groove area can accommodate the foamed water-blocking material 105 without causing obvious compression deformation.

[0101] In one embodiment, the embossing depths of the metal strip grooves 107 and 108 are less than or equal to the diameter of the foamed water-blocking material.

[0102] Specifically, by setting the stamping depth of the metal belt groove to be less than or equal to the cross-sectional diameter of the foamed water-blocking material 105, it can ensure that a stable and reliable interlocking structure is formed at the overlapping part of the metal belt, and can effectively maintain the structural integrity and functional stability of the foamed water-blocking material 105, further improving the mechanical strength and water-blocking performance of the optical cable armor structure.

[0103] In one embodiment, the optical cable processing device further includes an injection molding machine 409 for coating the outer surface of the metal tape with an outer sheath material by extrusion to form an optical cable structure.

[0104] Specifically, after the glue spraying process is completed, the glue-sprayed cable core structure is transported to the injection molding machine 409, and the outer sheath 106 is evenly extruded onto the outer surface of the metal belt through an extrusion process, thereby forming the outer sheath 106 of the optical cable. The above-mentioned extrusion process adopts temperature control and mold cavity molding technology to ensure that the thickness of the outer sheath 106 is uniform and the coating is firm. Among them, at the location of the metal belt groove 107, the local thickness of the outer sheath 106 is relatively increased, forming a thickened area, which is used to realize the positioning identification and stripping guide function of the optical fiber ribbon 101 during actual use of the optical cable. This thickened area not only enhances the bonding strength between the outer sheath and the metal belt groove 107, improves the optical cable's resistance to extraction, but also provides a clear stripping starting point on the optical cable structure, further improving the on-site operability and construction efficiency of the optical cable.

[0105] In one embodiment, the optical cable processing device further includes a water tank 410 , a blow dryer 411 and a take-up unit 412 .

[0106] The water tank 410 is used to cool the extruded optical cable structure. The blow dryer 411 is used to dry the surface of the cooled optical cable structure to remove residual moisture on the surface of the optical cable structure. The take-up unit 412 is used to reel the dried optical cable structure.

[0107] Specifically, after the outer sheath 106 is extruded, the optical cable structure passes through a water tank 410 for circulating cooling, and then passes through a blow dryer 411 for surface drying. Finally, the optical cable structure enters a take-up unit 412 for winding, thus completing the full-process continuous manufacturing of the optical cable.

[0108] In a preferred embodiment, the optical fiber ribbon 101 comprises 432 optical fiber units 1001, which are encased within a sleeve 102. A layer of water-blocking tape 103 approximately 0.25 mm thick is wrapped around the outer surface of the sleeve 102 by a wrapping machine 403 to construct the cable core structure. A metal ribbon longitudinal wrapping forming station 406 symmetrically arranges seven 2 mm diameter foamed water-blocking filling ropes around the outer periphery of the cable core structure, along the axial direction of the optical cable. During the arrangement process, a gap approximately 8 mm wide is reserved as the overlap edge of the metal ribbons to prevent the foamed water-blocking filling ropes from affecting the overlap quality of the metal ribbons. A smooth metal ribbon is drawn out by a metal ribbon payout unit 405 and longitudinally wrapped by the metal ribbon longitudinal wrapping forming station 406. The overlap width of the metal ribbon overlap edge is approximately 8 mm. After the metal tape is wrapped, the cable core structure enters the stamping machine 407, and the overlapping edge of the metal tape is pressed downward by the stamping mold to form a concave structure with a size of 6mm×6mm to construct a stable interlocking structure and form a "discontinuous contact" interface between the metal tape and the cable core structure.

[0109] The cable core structure that has completed the embossing process is further transmitted to the glue spraying system 408, and a layer of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) material is evenly sprayed on the inner surface of the metal belt recessed area (i.e., the metal belt groove 107) as an easy-to-bond coating to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the outer sheath 106 and the metal belt in this area. Subsequently, the cable core structure after glue spraying is transmitted to the injection molding machine 409, and the outer sheath material is evenly coated on the outer surface of the metal belt through an extrusion process to form an outer sheath 106. Among them, the outer sheath 106 is set as a local thickening area at the position corresponding to the recessed area of ​​the metal belt to realize the positioning, identification and stripping guide function of the optical fiber ribbon 101. The final optical cable has an outer diameter of about 16 mm, has structural stability, water-blocking sealing performance, easy stripping characteristics and adaptability to on-site construction, and is suitable for engineering applications in complex environments such as high-density optical fiber network layout.

[0110] In an embodiment of the present invention, a polygonal stamping die is used to perform a directional stamping process on the metal strip, creating a stable and reliable interlocking structure in the overlapped area, enhancing the self-locking fit between the metal strips. This stamping process also creates a "discontinuous contact" structure between the metal strip and the cable core structure, reducing the interfacial adhesion between the cable core and the metal strip armor layer, facilitating the subsequent rapid stripping of the optical cable. Furthermore, a spraying system sprays the inner surface of the metal strip groove in the snap-fit ​​area with a uniformly applied adhesive coating, effectively improving the adhesion strength between the metal strip and the outer sheath, thereby enhancing the cable's resistance to pullout. A locally thickened coating is applied to the metal strip groove area through an injection molding process, not only enabling the optical fiber ribbon's positioning and identification function but also providing a clear starting point for stripping, further improving the cable's operability and efficiency during on-site construction. Furthermore, the integrated water tank, blow-drying device, and take-up unit ensure continuous and stable operation of the extruded optical cable during the cooling, drying, and winding processes, ensuring the consistency of the cable structure and the stability of product quality.

[0111] The above specific embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical fiber ribbon cable, characterized in that: include: an optical fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fiber units; a sleeve, covering the outside of the optical fiber ribbon; A water-blocking tape is wrapped around the outer surface of the casing; A metal tube is sleeved on the outside of the water-blocking tape. The metal tube is formed by longitudinally wrapping the metal tape. Two sides of the metal tape are symmetrically provided with multiple sets of mutually cooperating clamping structures. A foamed water-blocking material is provided between the metal tube and the water-blocking tape.

2. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The outer sheath is sleeved on the outer side of the metal tube.

3. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: The clamping structure includes a first groove and a second groove. When the metal strip is longitudinally wrapped, the first groove is clamped and connected with the second groove.

4. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: The foamed water-blocking material is arranged on the outside of the water-blocking tape in an axially symmetrical manner and is arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the optical cable.

5. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: The multiple groups of clamping structures protrude toward the metal tube, so that a gap exists between the water-blocking tape and the metal tube, and the foamed water-blocking material is located in the gap.

6. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 3, wherein: The shapes of the first groove and the second groove are any one of a quadrilateral, a triangle, a pentagon and a hexagon.

7. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: The inner surface of the metal belt is a smooth surface, and the roughness value of the inner surface is less than or equal to 0.

2.

8. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 3, wherein: The inner surface of the first groove is coated with an easy-adhesion coating.

9. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 3, wherein: The thickness of the outer jacket at the first groove is greater than the thickness of the outer jacket in other non-groove areas of the metal strip.

10. The optical fiber ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the optical fiber units are arranged in a matrix shape within the cross section of the optical cable to form the optical fiber ribbon.

11. An optical cable processing device for processing the optical cable according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: Along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt, there are arranged in sequence the optical fiber unit pay-off unit, the water-blocking tape pay-off unit, the wrapping machine, the foaming water-blocking material pay-off unit, the metal tape pay-off unit, the metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming table and the embossing machine; The optical fiber ribbon wrapped in the sleeve led out by the optical fiber unit pay-off unit and the water-blocking tape led out by the water-blocking tape pay-off unit enter the wrapping machine, and the wrapping machine wraps the water-blocking tape around the outer surface of the sleeve outside the optical fiber ribbon; the foamed water-blocking material led out by the foamed water-blocking material pay-off unit, the metal tape led out by the metal tape pay-off unit, and the optical fiber ribbon wrapped with the water-blocking tape are conveyed to the metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station; The metal tape longitudinal wrapping forming station is used to successively wrap the optical fiber tape wrapped with the water-blocking tape with a foamed water-blocking material and a metal tape to form a metal tape armor layer; the embossing machine is used to emboss the clamping area of ​​the metal tape to form a clamping structure.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that Also includes: The glue spraying system is used for spraying an easy-adhesion coating on the contact surface of the clamping structure.

13. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that Also includes: The injection molding machine is used to coat the outer surface of the metal tape with an outer sheath material by extrusion to form an optical cable structure.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that Also includes; A water tank is used to cool the optical cable structure after extrusion; A blow dryer, used to dry the surface of the cooled optical cable structure to remove residual moisture on the surface of the optical cable structure; The take-up unit is used to take up the optical cable structure after drying.

15. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The stamping machine is provided with a replaceable stamping mold, and the stamping shape of the stamping mold is a polygonal structure, and the polygonal structure includes any one of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon or a hexagon.

16. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The embossing depths of the first groove and the second groove are less than or equal to the diameter of the foamed water-blocking material.

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