Flexible splitter and flexible optical cable

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible splitter, which comprises a splitter main body and an internal space, the internal space can accommodate a multi-core optical fiber, the splitter main body further comprises a deformation part, and the deformation part can be subjected to elastic deformation or plastic bending deformation as required. The flexible splitter is provided with the deformation part which can be bent and deformed, and the deformation part enables the splitter to be elastically or plastically bent and deformed, so that the splitter is allowed to have certain flexibility. In addition, because the optical cable also has flexibility, the optical cable provided with the flexible splitter can still keep good bending deformation performance, when the optical cable provided with the flexible splitter is arranged in a narrow and complex environment, the bending state of the deformation area of the splitter can be adjusted at any time according to the use requirements of the environment, and the flexibility of the optical cable is improved. The difficulty of optical cable wiring is reduced, and troubles caused by a hard splitter in the wiring process are avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical fiber technology, in particular to a flexible brancher and a flexible optical cable. BACKGROUND

[0002] Optical fiber communication uses light as information carrier and optical fiber as data transmission medium, and has the advantages of large communication capacity, low loss, long transmission distance and strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability. At present, with the rapid development of optical fiber communication technology, optical communication products are increasingly widely used in various industries. The use environment is also more complex and diverse. With the rapid expansion of AI and 5G technology, the market has higher and higher demand for high-density transmission of optical fiber communication.

[0003] The optical fiber brancher is a transition device from the main cable to the branch cable, which can realize the branching of the multi-core bundle cable into single-core branch cable, thereby realizing the branching transmission of optical signals.

[0004] In the data center room, the traditional brancher generally includes a hard box body or a hard support, which provides good support for the internal optical fiber and prevents the optical fiber in the brancher from being damaged by external forces. However, this hard part cannot be deformed, and when high-density optical cable wiring is performed in a narrow and complex environment, the hard part in the traditional brancher will be difficult to arrange reasonably, causing wiring difficulties. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a flexible brancher and a flexible optical cable to solve the difficulty of wiring of the traditional hard brancher in a narrow and complex environment.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a flexible brancher, which includes a brancher body and an internal space that can accommodate a multi-core optical fiber, and the brancher body further includes a deformation part that can elastically deform or plastically bend and deform as needed.

[0007] Further, the flexible brancher includes a wire inlet end and a branch end, which are respectively located on both sides of the brancher body, the wire inlet end includes a main cable hole, and the multi-core optical fiber enters the internal space from the main cable hole; the branch end includes a plurality of branch holes, and each bare optical fiber in the multi-core optical fiber respectively extends from the branch hole.

[0008] Further, the deformation part has a deformation gap, and the deformation gap penetrates the thickness direction of the deformation part wall.

[0009] Further, the cross section of the deformation part in any plane perpendicular to the central axis is circular, the deformation gap extends along a spiral line, and the axis of the spiral line is collinear with the central axis.

[0010] Further, the heat shrink tube and the hot melt tube are further included, the hot melt tube is sleeved on the outer periphery of the deformation gap, and the heat shrink tube is sleeved on the outer periphery of the hot melt tube and covers the outside of the brancher body, the incoming line end and the branch end. The heat shrink tube can tightly hold and fix the brancher body, the incoming line end and the branch end after being heated.

[0011] Further, the deformation part is made of elastic metal.

[0012] Further, the cross section of the deformation part in any plane perpendicular to the central axis is circular or square, the deformation gap includes a plurality of first deformation gaps and a plurality of second deformation gaps, the first deformation gaps and the second deformation gaps are arranged in a straight line on the deformation part, and the first deformation gaps and the second deformation gaps are symmetrically arranged along the central axis.

[0013] Further, the brancher body includes an upper cover and a base, the upper cover and the base are detachably fixed, the upper cover includes a first main cable groove and a plurality of first branch grooves, the base includes a second main cable groove and a plurality of second branch grooves, and the first main cable groove and the second main cable groove form the main cable hole after the upper cover and the base are fixedly connected, and the first branch groove and the second branch groove form the branch hole.

[0014] In the second aspect, the present application provides a flexible optical cable, which includes a multi-core optical fiber and a flexible brancher, the multi-core optical fiber includes a plurality of bare optical fibers, the flexible brancher includes a brancher body, a flexible filling part and a heat shrink part, the brancher body includes a main cable hole, a plurality of branch holes and a deformation part, the deformation part can be elastically deformed or plastically bent and deformed according to needs, the multi-core optical fiber enters the flexible brancher from the main cable hole, the bare optical fiber passes out from the branch hole, and the heat shrink part is wrapped outside the brancher body, and the flexible filling part fills inside the brancher body.

[0015] In the third aspect, the present application provides a flexible optical cable, which includes a multi-core optical fiber and a flexible brancher, the multi-core optical fiber includes a plurality of bare optical fibers, the flexible brancher includes a main cable hole, a plurality of branch holes and a deformation part, the deformation part can be elastically deformed or plastically bent and deformed according to needs, the multi-core optical fiber enters the flexible brancher from the main cable hole, the bare optical fiber passes out from the branch hole, the multi-core optical fiber is fixed with the main cable hole, and the bare optical fiber is fixed with the branch hole.

[0016] Advantages

[0017] The flexible brancher of the present application has a deformation part which can be deformed, and the deformation part makes the brancher elastically or plastically deformed, so that the brancher can provide good support for the optical fiber installed in the internal space and has certain flexibility, so that the brancher can change the external shape according to the environmental requirements.

[0018] In addition, since the optical cable also has flexibility, the optical cable with the flexible brancher of the present application can still maintain good bending deformation performance, and when the optical cable with the flexible brancher of the present application is arranged in a narrow and complex environment, the bending state of the deformation part of the brancher can be adjusted at any time according to the use requirements of the environment, the difficulty of optical cable wiring is reduced, and the trouble caused by the hard brancher in the wiring process is avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the flexible optical cable of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 is a bending schematic diagram of the flexible optical cable of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application;

[0025] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible optical cable of the present application;

[0026] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8 is Figure 7 is an unlocking schematic diagram of the flexible brancher in the present application;

[0028] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application;

[0029] Figure 10 is a structural schematic view of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application.

[0030] Legend of reference signs:

[0031] 10, flexible brancher; 11, brancher body; 111, deformation part; 1111, deformation notch; 1112, first deformation notch; 1113, second deformation notch; 112, upper cover; 1121, clamping part; 1122, first main cable groove; 1123, first branch groove; 1124, through hole; 113, base; 1132, second main cable groove; 1133, second branch groove; 1134, connecting hole; 1131, protrusion; 114, connecting part; 12, internal space; 13, wire inlet end; 131, main cable hole; 14, branch end; 141, branch hole; 15, heat shrink tube; 16, hot melt tube; 17, flexible filling part; 18, heat shrink part; 20, multi-core optical fiber; 21, bare optical fiber; 100, flexible optical cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the technical problems solved by the present application, technical solutions and beneficial effects more clearly understood, the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and do not limit the present application.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that some "first", "second" appearing in different embodiments are used to distinguish the same parts in different embodiments, and do not mean that there must be other same parts in the embodiment.

[0034] The various flexible optical cables and flexible branchers of the present application will be described below respectively.

[0035] Embodiments

[0036] The present application provides a flexible brancher 10, as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of a specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present application, which includes a brancher body 11 and an internal space 12, the internal space 12 can accommodate a multi-core optical fiber, the brancher body 11 further includes a deformation part 111, which can be elastically deformed or plastically bent deformed as needed.

[0037] The length of the deformation part can be the entire length of the brancher body, or can be part of the length of the brancher body, the length of the deformation part can be defined by the designer according to the actual situation, in this embodiment, the length of the deformation part accounts for about 4 / 5 of the length of the brancher body, and the deformation part is located at the middle part of the brancher body.

[0038] The flexible branch of the present invention has a deformable part that can be bent and deformed. The deformable part causes the branch to undergo elastic or plastic bending deformation. Such a branch provides good support for the optical fiber installed in its internal space, and also has a certain degree of flexibility, so that the branch can change its external shape according to environmental requirements.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the flexible splitter 10 also includes an inlet end 13 and a branch end 14. The inlet end 13 and the branch end 14 are located on both sides of the splitter body. The inlet end 13 includes a main cable hole 131, through which the multi-core optical fiber enters the internal space 12. The branch end 14 includes several branch holes 141, through which each bare optical fiber in the multi-core optical fiber extends from a branch hole 141.

[0040] The design of the input and branch ends ensures that each bare fiber in a multi-core fiber will not be knotted together in the splitter, allowing each bare fiber to bend freely. This increases the bending deformation capability of the flexible splitter and avoids excessive bending of the bare fiber during the bending process, which could lead to light leakage.

[0041] Excessive bending of bare optical fiber refers to a bending radius smaller than the minimum bending radius of such fibers. The minimum bending radius of an optical fiber is the smallest radius that the fiber can bend under normal optical signal transmission conditions. In practice, it is the minimum radius of curvature that the fiber can withstand without causing excessive signal loss, modal dispersion, or any other performance degradation. This parameter is usually measured as the shortest distance from the fiber's central axis to the bend, typically in millimeters (mm). The greater the bend, the smaller the radius. The smaller the radius, the more flexible the fiber. Different fibers have different minimum bending radii. Typically, during the design process, depending on the specific fiber used, the bending radius r of the splitter is ≥ 5 mm.

[0042] The deformable part 111 has a deformation notch 1111, which extends through the wall thickness of the deformable part 111. The brancher body is usually a whole with supporting capacity. In order to make it bend and deform, a deformation notch that allows it to bend and deform needs to be provided on the brancher body.

[0043] The deformable portion 111 has a circular cross-section on any plane perpendicular to its central axis, and the deformation notch extends along a spiral line, the axis of which is collinear with the central axis. In this embodiment, the deformable portion is cylindrical with a circular cross-section, and the diameter of this circle is always equal. Such a deformable portion is similar to a spring structure, which not only provides a good support structure to prevent the internal optical fiber from being damaged by the outside, but also facilitates the bending of the branch unit body to increase the portability of the branch unit wiring.

[0044] In other embodiments, the deformable portion may also have other cross-sections that are circular and whose diameter varies, such as a drum shape.

[0045] By installing the multi-core optical fiber 20 into the flexible splitter 10 in this embodiment, a flexible optical cable can be manufactured. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the flexible optical cable of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bending of the flexible optical cable of the present invention. Figures 3-4 As shown, the flexible optical cable 100 includes a multi-core optical fiber 20 and a flexible splitter 10. The multi-core optical fiber 20 includes several bare optical fibers 21. Since both the multi-core optical cable and the flexible splitter have a certain degree of flexibility, the resulting flexible optical cable can be bent.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the flexible brancher 10 also includes a heat shrink tube 15 and a heat fusion tube 16. The heat fusion tube 16 is sleeved around the outer periphery of the deformation notch 111, and the heat shrink tube 15 is sleeved around the outer periphery of the heat fusion tube 16, covering the outer side of the brancher body 11, the inlet end 13 and the branch end 14. After being heated, the heat shrink tube 15 can hug and fix the brancher body 11, the inlet end 13 and the branch end 14.

[0047] In this embodiment, when the flexible splitter is heated, the heat-fused tube melts while the heat-shrinkable tube shrinks, pressing the melted heat-fused tube evenly into the internal space of the flexible splitter through the deformation notch, thereby completing the fabrication of another type of flexible optical cable according to the present invention.

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible optical cable of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the flexible optical cable 100 in this embodiment includes a multi-core optical fiber 20 and a flexible splitter 10. The multi-core optical fiber includes several bare optical fibers 21. The flexible splitter 10 includes a splitter 11, a flexible filling part 17, and a heat-shrinkable part 18. The splitter body includes a main cable hole and several branch holes. The multi-core optical fiber 20 enters the flexible splitter 10 through the main cable hole, and the bare optical fibers 21 exit through the branch holes. The heat-shrinkable part 18 wraps around the outside of the splitter body 11, and the flexible filling part 17 fills the inside of the splitter body 11.

[0049] The flexible filler 17 is formed by melting the heat-fused tubing 16 and allowing it to flow into the internal space 12, followed by cooling; the heat-shrinkable part 18 is formed by shrinking the heat-shrinkable tubing 15. The flexible filler fills the remaining gaps in the internal space 12, providing better fixation and protection for the bare optical fibers in the flexible splitter. Using heat-shrinkable tubing and heat-fused tubing to fix and protect the flexible splitter increases its support and fixation; furthermore, this fixing method is much simpler and more convenient than manually applying adhesive to each branch hole, greatly simplifying operation and improving production efficiency.

[0050] In another specific embodiment, the deformable portion is made of elastic metal. Compared to plastic materials, the deformable portion made of metal can provide better support performance and durability.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present invention. Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the unlocking of the flexible branch unit is shown below. Figures 7-8 As shown, the cross-section of the deformable part on any plane perpendicular to its central axis is square. The deformation notch includes three first deformation notches 1112 and three second deformation notches 1113. The first deformation notches 1112 and the second deformation notches 1113 are arranged in a straight line on the deformable part 111, and the first deformation notches 1112 and the second deformation notches 1113 are arranged symmetrically along the central axis.

[0052] The main body of the brancher includes an upper cover 112 and a base 113. The upper cover 112 and the base 113 are detachable and fixed. The upper cover 112 and the base 113 are integrally injection molded. In this embodiment, the main body of the brancher is made of plastic. The upper cover 112 and the base 113 are connected by a connecting part 114. The connecting part 114 itself is a foldable structure. The upper cover 112 has a snap-fit ​​part 1121, and the base 113 has a protrusion 1131. The snap-fit ​​part 1121 and the protrusion 1131 can be snapped together and fixed.

[0053] The top cover 112 includes a first main cable groove 1122 and a first branch groove 1123, and the base 113 includes a second main cable groove 1132 and a plurality of second branch grooves 1133. After the top cover 112 and the base 113 are fixedly connected, the first main cable groove 1122 and the second main cable groove 1132 together form a main cable hole 131, and the first branch groove 1123 and the second branch groove 1133 together form a branch hole 141.

[0054] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 9As shown, the cross-section of the deformable part on any plane perpendicular to its central axis is square. The deformation notch includes three first deformation notches 1112 and three second deformation notches 1113. The first deformation notches 1112 and the second deformation notches 1113 are arranged in a straight line on the deformable part 111, and the first deformation notches 1112 and the second deformation notches 1113 are arranged symmetrically along the central axis.

[0055] The branch unit body includes an upper cover 112 and a base 113, which are detachably fixed. The upper cover 112 and base 113 are separately formed. Through holes 1124 are provided around the upper cover 112, and corresponding connecting holes 1134 are provided around the base 113. In this embodiment, the connecting holes are threaded holes, and the upper cover 112 and base 113 are fixedly connected by screws. In other embodiments, the upper cover and base can be connected by a heat-fused column.

[0056] The top cover 112 includes a first main cable groove 1122 and a first branch groove 1123, and the base 113 includes a second main cable groove 1132 and a plurality of second branch grooves 1133. After the top cover 112 and the base 113 are fixedly connected, the first main cable groove 1122 and the second main cable groove 1132 together form a main cable hole 131, and the first branch groove 1123 and the second branch groove 1133 together form a branch hole 141.

[0057] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the flexible brancher of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the flexible splitter 10 also includes a splitter body 11, an inlet end 13, and a branch end 14. The inlet end 13 and the branch end 14 are located on both sides of the splitter body. The inlet end 13 includes a main cable hole 131. The cross-section of the deformable part 111 on any plane perpendicular to its central axis is square. The deformable notch includes three first deformable notches 1112 and three second deformable notches 1113. The first deformable notches 1112 and the second deformable notches 1113 are arranged in a straight line on the deformable part 111. The first deformable notches 1112 and the second deformable notches 1113 are arranged symmetrically along the central axis.

[0058] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible splitter, comprising a splitter body and an internal space, the internal space being capable of accommodating multi-core optical fibers, characterized in that, The brancher body also includes a deformable part, which can undergo elastic deformation or plastic bending deformation as needed.

2. The flexible brancher according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an inlet end and a branch end, which are located on both sides of the splitter body. The inlet end includes a main cable hole through which the multi-core optical fiber enters the internal space. The branch end includes several branch holes through which each bare optical fiber in the multi-core optical fiber extends out from the branch hole.

3. The flexible brancher according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The deformable part has a deformation notch that extends through the wall thickness direction of the deformable part.

4. The flexible brancher according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cross-section of the deformable part on any plane perpendicular to its central axis is circular, and the deformable notch extends along a spiral line, the axis of which is collinear with the central axis.

5. The flexible brancher according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes heat shrink tubing and heat fusion tubing. The heat fusion tubing is sleeved around the outer periphery of the deformation notch, and the heat shrink tubing is sleeved around the outer periphery of the heat fusion tubing, covering the outside of the brancher body, the inlet end and the branch end. After being heated, the heat shrink tubing can hug and fix the brancher body, the inlet end and the branch end.

6. The flexible brancher according to claim 4, characterized in that, The deformable part is made of elastic metal.

7. The flexible brancher according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cross-section of the deformable part on any plane perpendicular to its central axis is circular or square. The deformation notch includes a plurality of first deformation notches and a plurality of second deformation notches. The first deformation notches and the second deformation notches are arranged in a straight line on the deformable part and are symmetrically arranged along the central axis.

8. The flexible brancher according to claim 7, characterized in that, The brancher body includes an upper cover and a base, the upper cover and the base being detachably fixed; the upper cover includes a first main cable groove and a plurality of first branch grooves, the base includes a second main cable groove and a plurality of second branch grooves, after the upper cover and the base are fixedly connected, the first main cable groove and the second main cable groove together form the main cable hole, and the first branch groove and the second branch groove together form the branch hole.

9. A flexible optical cable, characterized in that, The invention includes a multi-core optical fiber and a flexible branch. The multi-core optical fiber includes several bare optical fibers. The flexible branch includes a branch body, a flexible filling part, and a heat-shrinkable part. The branch body includes a main cable hole, several branch holes, and a deformable part. The deformable part can undergo elastic deformation or plastic bending deformation as needed. The multi-core optical fiber enters the flexible branch through the main cable hole, and the bare optical fiber exits through the branch holes. The heat-shrinkable part wraps around the outside of the branch body, and the flexible filling part fills the inside of the branch body.

10. A flexible optical cable, characterized in that, The device includes a multi-core optical fiber and a flexible splitter. The multi-core optical fiber includes several bare optical fibers. The flexible splitter includes a main cable hole, several branch holes, and a deformation section. The deformation section can undergo elastic deformation or plastic bending deformation as needed. The multi-core optical fiber enters the flexible splitter through the main cable hole, and the bare optical fiber exits through the branch holes. The multi-core optical fiber is fixed to the main cable hole, and the bare optical fiber is fixed to the branch holes.

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