Pressure-resistant structure, pressure-resistant optical cable and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of optical cables, aims to solve the technical problem that some known optical cables fixed to deep sea clamps are prone to separation from the clamps under the action of radial water pressure, and provides a pressure-resistant structure, a pressure-resistant optical cable and a manufacturing method. The pressure-resistant structure can be bent into a ring and is arranged between an inner sheath and an outer sheath of an optical cable. The pressure-resistant structure comprises: a plurality of supporting units which sequentially abut against the inner sheath in the circumferential direction thereof, each supporting unit comprising a first abutting plate abutting against the inner sheath and two side plates, the two side plates being respectively connected to the two ends of the first abutting plate, and the distance between the two side edge plates in a direction away from the first abutting plate being smaller than the distance between the two ends of the first abutting plate; and a plurality of second abutting plates which are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner sheath, the two ends of each second abutting plate being respectively connected to the two side plates of every two adjacent supporting units that are close to each other. The present application has the beneficial effect of improving the pressure resistance of pressure-resistant optical cables.

Description

Compression-resistant structure, compression-resistant optical cable and manufacturing method

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 16, 2023, with application number 202310731631.X, and invention name “Compression-resistant structure, compression-resistant optical cable and manufacturing method”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of optical cables, and in particular to a compression-resistant structure, a compression-resistant optical cable, and a manufacturing method. Background Art

[0003] Deepwater areas have high water pressure, and optical cables placed there are subject to significant hydrostatic pressure. In some applications, optical cables must be secured to pipelines or equipment on the seabed using clamps. However, prolonged exposure to hydrostatic pressure can easily cause radial contraction in optical cables, leading to cable detachment from the clamps. In severe cases, this can cause the cables to slip and damage their sheaths, compromising their usability.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a pressure-resistant structure, a pressure-resistant optical cable and a manufacturing method to solve the technical problem that some known optical cables fixed to deep-sea clamps are easily separated from the clamps under the action of radial pressure of water pressure.

[0006] The embodiment of the present application is implemented as follows:

[0007] In the first aspect, the present application provides a pressure-resistant structure, which can be bent into a ring shape and placed between the inner sheath and the outer sheath of an optical cable, the pressure-resistant structure comprising: a plurality of support units, the plurality of support units abutting in sequence along the circumference of the inner sheath, the support unit comprising a first abutting plate abutting the inner sheath and two side plates, the two side plates being respectively connected to the two ends of the first abutting plate, the two side plates being spaced apart away from the end of the first abutting plate, the spacing between the two side plates away from one end of the first abutting plate being smaller than the spacing between the two ends of the first abutting plate; a plurality of second abutting plates, the plurality of second abutting plates being spaced apart along the circumference of the inner sheath, the plurality of second abutting plates abutting the outer sheath respectively, the two ends of each second abutting plate being respectively connected to the two side plates close to each other of each two adjacent support units.

[0008] When the pressure-resistant optical cable of the present application is used, it is placed in a deep-sea environment and clamped to a deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment by a clamp. The hydrostatic pressure and the clamping force provided by the clamp are transmitted to the pressure-resistant structure through the outer sheath, and radial pressure is applied to the second abutment plate abutting the outer sheath, causing the second abutment plate to have a tendency to approach the inner sheath along the radial direction of the inner sheath. The second abutment plate also applies radial pressure to the first abutment plates of the two support units through the two side plates at both ends (belonging to two adjacent support units). Because the distance between the two side plates and the first abutment plate is smaller than the distance between the two ends of the first abutment plate, the angle between the side plates and the first abutment plate and the angle between the side plates and the second abutment plate are both acute angles. Therefore, when the second abutment plate applies radial pressure to the first abutment plate through the side plates, the angle between the side plates and the first abutment plate tends to decrease. In this way, the connection between the first abutment plates and the side plates of the two adjacent support units tends to approach each other. However, the two adjacent support units of the pressure-resistant structure of the present application are abutted in sequence along the circumference of the inner sheath, that is, there is no space between the two adjacent support units to allow them to get closer to each other, so that the pressure-resistant structure can still maintain a reliable and stable shape when subjected to hydrostatic pressure and clamping force, which can not only prevent the cable core from being subjected to hydrostatic pressure and clamping force, but also greatly reduce the deformation of the pressure-resistant structure, and avoid the deformation of the pressure-resistant structure after long-term use of the pressure-resistant water cable, thereby ensuring that the pressure-resistant water cable can be stably clamped by the clamp in the deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment, thereby ensuring the binding reliability of the pressure-resistant water cable.

[0009] In one possible implementation:

[0010] When the pressure-resistant structure is in the expanded state, the first abutment plate, the two side plates and the second abutment plate are all flat plates, the first abutment plate is parallel to the second abutment plate, two adjacent first abutment plates are spaced apart, and two adjacent second abutment plates are spaced apart.

[0011] In one possible implementation:

[0012] The distance between two adjacent first abutting plates is equal to the distance between two adjacent second abutting plates, and the angles between the two side plates and the first abutting plates are equal.

[0013] In one possible implementation:

[0014] The compression-resistant structure is made by bending a thin plate using an embossing process.

[0015] In one possible implementation:

[0016] One end of the side plate is connected to the first abutting plate in a circular arc transition, and the other end of the side plate is connected to the second abutting plate in a circular arc transition.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present application provides a pressure-resistant optical cable comprising a cable core, an inner sheath, an outer sheath, and the aforementioned pressure-resistant structure. The inner sheath is disposed outside the cable core. The outer sheath is disposed outside the inner sheath. The pressure-resistant structure is disposed between the inner sheath and the outer sheath.

[0018] In one possible implementation:

[0019] An inner space is defined between the side of the pressure-resistant structure close to the inner protective layer and the inner protective layer, and an outer space is defined between the side of the pressure-resistant structure facing the outer protective layer and the outer protective layer;

[0020] The two ends of the pressure-resistant structure are opposite to each other and spaced apart to form a gap connecting the inner space and the outer space;

[0021] The outer protective layer is provided with an opening for communicating the outer space with the external environment.

[0022] In one possible implementation:

[0023] The pressure-resistant optical cable further includes a first water-blocking structure, which is filled between the cable core and the inner sheath.

[0024] In one possible implementation:

[0025] The pressure-resistant optical cable further includes a second water-blocking structure, which is filled in an inner space formed by the pressure-resistant structure and the inner sheath on a side facing the inner sheath.

[0026] In a third aspect, the present application provides a method for manufacturing a compression-resistant optical cable, which is used to manufacture the aforementioned compression-resistant optical cable. The method for manufacturing the compression-resistant optical cable comprises:

[0027] Providing a cable core, and covering the outer side of the cable core with an inner sheath to obtain a first process product;

[0028] Providing the compression-resistant structure in an unfolded state, simultaneously feeding the compression-resistant structure and the first process product into a tapered stranding die, so as to wind the compression-resistant structure around the outside of the first process product, and causing a plurality of first abutment plates of the compression-resistant structure to abut against the inner sheath, while causing a plurality of first abutment plates to abut against each other along the circumference of the cable core, and a plurality of second abutment plates to be spaced apart along the circumference of the cable core, and then passing the first process product with the compression-resistant structure wound therearound through a sizing die, so that the compression-resistant structure is adhered to the first process product, and thus obtaining a second process product;

[0029] An outer sheath is covered on the outer side of the second process product, and the second abutting plate of the pressure-resistant structure is abutted against the outer sheath to obtain the pressure-resistant optical cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a compression-resistant structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a compression-resistant structure according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG5 is another partial structural diagram of a compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of a compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG8 is a second schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the compression-resistant optical cable according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Description of main component symbols: DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0041] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. When an element is considered to be "set on" another element, it may be directly set on the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0043] Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features of the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0044] Some optical cables operate in high-pressure environments, such as deep sea areas, and require secure lashing to deep-sea pipelines or equipment using clamps. This ensures that the cable's gravity and disturbance forces are offset by the clamps. Optical cables are subject to high hydrostatic pressure when operating in these environments, and some cables can easily experience radial contraction under this pressure, causing them to break free from the clamps, rendering the clamps unable to exert their grip. This can even cause the cables to slip, potentially colliding with sharp structures and damaging the sheath, impacting their proper function in deep-sea environments.

[0045] In order to improve the compressive performance of optical cables, an applicant's known technology uses cable materials with smaller deformation to prepare optical cables. However, ordinary materials with smaller deformation are difficult to withstand both the deep sea water pressure and the clamping force of the clamp at the same time, and will still produce larger deformations and cause the optical cable to detach from the clamp.

[0046] In light of this, as shown in Figures 1-4 , embodiments of the present application provide a compression-resistant optical cable 100 that can simultaneously withstand deep-sea water pressure and the clamping force of a clamp, while exhibiting minimal deformation and resisting detachment from the clamp. This allows the compression-resistant optical cable 100 to be stably and reliably secured to a deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment while being clamped by the clamp, thereby extending the service life of the compression-resistant optical cable 100 in deep-sea environments. This will be exemplified below.

[0047] Referring to Figure 1 , this embodiment provides a compression-resistant optical cable 100, comprising a cable core 30, an inner sheath 40, an outer sheath 50, and a compression-resistant structure 10. The inner sheath 40 is disposed outside the cable core 30. The outer sheath 50 is disposed outside the inner sheath 40. The compression-resistant structure 10 is disposed between the inner sheath 40 and the outer sheath 50.

[0048] Referring to Figure 1 , the cable core 30 includes multiple battery cells 31 and multiple optical fiber cells 32, which are twisted together. Each battery cell 31 includes a battery conductor 311 and an insulating layer 312 covering the battery conductor 311. Each optical fiber cell 32 includes an optical fiber body 321 and an insulating layer 322 covering the optical fiber body 321. The number of battery cells 31 can be one, two, three, or more, and the number of optical fiber cells 32 can be one, two, three, or more. The specific number of each can be determined based on actual needs and is not subject to specific limitation.

[0049] In this embodiment, referring to FIG1 , the pressure-resistant optical cable 100 further includes a first water-blocking structure 61 disposed between the cable core 30 and the inner sheath 40. The first water-blocking structure 61 is filled between adjacent battery cells 31 or optical fiber cells 32 and may be a room-temperature cross-linking water-blocking adhesive or a water-blocking tape or other water-blocking structure.

[0050] The inner sheath 40 is extruded on the outside of the cable core 30 and can be extruded using a waterproof material.

[0051] 1 to 3 , the pressure-resistant structure 10 includes a plurality of support units 21 and a plurality of second abutment plates 22. The plurality of support units 21 abut against the inner sheath 40 in sequence along the circumference. The support units 21 include a first abutment plate 211 abutting against the inner sheath 40 and two side plates 212. The two side plates 212 are respectively connected to the ends of the first abutment plate 211. The two side plates 212 are spaced apart from the ends of the first abutment plate 211, and the distance between the two side plates 212 and the first abutment plate 211 is smaller than the distance between the ends of the first abutment plate 211. The plurality of second abutment plates 22 are spaced apart along the circumference of the inner sheath 40. The plurality of second abutment plates 22 abut against the outer sheath 50, and the ends of each second abutment plate 22 are respectively connected to the two adjacent side plates 212 of each of two adjacent support units 21.

[0052] When the pressure-resistant optical cable 100 of this embodiment is used, it is placed in a deep-sea environment and clamped to a deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment using a clamp. The hydrostatic pressure and the clamping force provided by the clamp are transmitted to the pressure-resistant structure 10 through the outer sheath 50. These forces exert radial pressure on the second abutment plate 22 abutting the outer sheath 50, causing the second abutment plate 22 to move radially toward the inner sheath 40. Furthermore, the second abutment plate 22 exerts radial pressure on the first abutment plates 211 of the two support units 21 through the two side plates 212 at its ends (which belong to the two adjacent support units 21). Since the distance between the two side plates 212 and the first abutment plate 211 is smaller than the distance between the two ends of the first abutment plate 211, the angle between the side plate 212 and the first abutment plate 211 and the angle between the side plate 212 and the second abutment plate 22 are both acute angles. Therefore, when the second abutment plate 22 applies radial pressure to the first abutment plate 211 through the side plate 212, the angle between the side plate 212 and the first abutment plate 211 tends to decrease. In this way, the connection between the first abutment plate 211 and the side plate 212 of the two adjacent support units 21 tends to approach each other. However, the two adjacent support units 21 of the pressure-resistant structure 10 of this embodiment are abutted in sequence along the circumference of the inner protective layer 40, that is, there is no space between the two adjacent support units 21 to allow them to get closer to each other, so that the pressure-resistant structure 10 can still maintain a reliable and stable shape when subjected to hydrostatic pressure and clamping force, which can not only prevent the cable core 30 from being subjected to hydrostatic pressure and clamping force, but also greatly reduce the deformation of the pressure-resistant structure 10, and avoid the deformation of the pressure-resistant structure 10 after long-term use of the pressure-resistant water cable, thereby ensuring that the pressure-resistant water cable can be stably clamped by the clamp in the deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment, thereby ensuring the binding reliability of the pressure-resistant water cable.

[0053] Moreover, the pressure-resistant structure 10 of this embodiment can achieve greater and more reliable pressure resistance with relatively thinner, less and lighter materials through clever structural settings combined with the actual pressure environment of the optical cable, thereby reducing the cost of the pressure-resistant optical cable 100.

[0054] It can be understood that, in this embodiment, the first abutting plate 211 and the inner protective layer 40 form a line contact or a surface contact, and the second abutting plate 22 and the outer protective layer 50 form a line contact or a surface contact.

[0055] In this embodiment, the pressure-resistant structure 10 is formed from a thin plate by bending it using an embossing process. By forming the pressure-resistant structure 10 from a single piece of thin plate, the pressure-resistant capabilities of the first abutment plate 211, the side plates 212, and the second abutment plate 22 can be improved, making them less likely to deform when subjected to high pressure, thereby ensuring the pressure-resistant performance of the pressure-resistant structure 10.

[0056] Optionally, the thin plate is a galvanized steel plate, which has a strong compressive resistance. In other embodiments, the thin plate can also be made of other steel materials or materials with higher strength.

[0057] Optionally, in this embodiment, the thickness of the first abutting plate 211, the side plate 212, and the second abutting plate 22 are all T, 0.1mm≤T≤1mm, and preferably 0.3mm. It should be noted that the compressive strength of the first abutting plate 211, the side plate 212, and the second abutting plate 22 increases with increasing thickness. In this embodiment, the specific thickness of the above three can be determined based on the compressive resistance requirements of the pressure-resistant structure 10 and the outer diameter of the pressure-resistant optical cable 100.

[0058] In this embodiment, referring to FIG3 , when the pressure-resistant structure 10 is in the unfolded state, the first abutting plate 211, the two side plates 212, and the second abutting plate 22 are all flat plates, and the first abutting plate 211 is parallel to the second abutting plate 22. This facilitates the pressure-resistant structure 10 to be formed by bending a thin plate, with the surfaces of the multiple first abutting plates 211 away from the second abutting plates 22 lying in the same plane, and the surfaces of the multiple second abutting plates 22 away from the first abutting plates 211 lying in another plane. Two adjacent first abutment plates 211 are spaced apart, and two adjacent second abutment plates 22 are spaced apart. Because the outer diameter of the inner sheath 40 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer sheath 50, after the pressure-resistant structure 10 bends around the inner sheath 40 and the adjacent support units 21 abut against the circumference of the inner sheath 40, the angle between the first abutment plates 211 and the side plates 212 increases slightly, increasing the circumference of the virtual circle formed by the multiple second abutment plates 22 while maintaining the total length of the multiple second abutment plates 22. This increases the spacing between adjacent second abutment plates 22, thereby forming a stable and reliable self-locking structure. In other embodiments, see FIG4 , one end of the side plate 212 is connected to the first abutment plate 211 in a circular arc transition, while the other end of the side plate 212 is connected to the second abutment plate 22 in a circular arc transition. In this way, when two adjacent support units 21 abut, the connection between the first abutting plate 211 and the side plate 212 of one support unit 21 abuts the connection between the first abutting plate 211 and the side plate 212 of the other support unit 21. Obviously, the specific shapes of the first abutting plate 211, the side plate 212, and the second abutting plate 22 are not limited to the aforementioned straight plate, curved plate, etc., and their specific shapes can be determined according to actual pressure resistance requirements.

[0059] In this embodiment, referring to FIG3 and FIG5 , the spacing between two adjacent first abutting plates 211 and the spacing between two adjacent second abutting plates 22 are equal and both are s, the angles between the two side plates 212 and the first abutting plates 211 are equal and both are α, the vertical distance h between the first abutting plates 211 and the second abutting plates 22, the widths of the first abutting plates 211 and the second abutting plates 22 are equal and both are L, the outer diameter r of the inner protective layer 40, and the number n of the support units 21 obey the following formula:

[0060] Through the above formula, the structural parameters of the pressure-resistant structure 10 in the expanded state can be calculated under the premise that the outer diameter r of the inner protective layer 40 is known, which is conducive to completing the processing of the pressure-resistant structure 10.

[0061] In this embodiment, the angle range of α is 30° to 75°. For example, α can be any one of 30°, 31°, 32°, 33°, 34°, 35°, 36°, 37°, 38°, 39°, 40°, 41°, 42°, 43°, 44°, 45°, 46°, 47°, 48°, 49°, 50°, 51°, 52°, 53°, 54°, 55°, 56°, 57°, 58°, 59°, 60°, 61°, 62°, 63°, 64°, 65°, 66°, 67°, 68°, 69°, 70°, 71°, 72°, 73°, 74°, and 75°. If α is too large, the vertical distance h between the first abutment plate 211 and the second abutment plate 22 may be too large, affecting the outer diameter requirements of the pressure-resistant optical cable 100. If α is too small, the pressure-resistant structure 10 may be easily flattened under pressure, affecting the pressure resistance of the pressure-resistant optical cable 100. Limiting α to between 30° and 75° can ensure the pressure resistance of the pressure-resistant structure 10 while meeting the outer diameter requirements of the pressure-resistant optical cable 100. In this embodiment, α is 60° to form a more stable equilateral triangle structure with better pressure resistance. Furthermore, the equal angles between the two side plates 212 and the first abutment plate 211 ensure that the pressure transmitted by the first abutment plate 211 is roughly the same on both side plates 212, resulting in a more balanced pressure on both sides of the support unit 21. This improves the stability of the support unit 21 when bearing pressure and reduces the possibility of deformation of the support unit 21 under pressure.

[0062] Of course, in other embodiments, the spacing between two adjacent first abutment plates 211 and the spacing between two adjacent second abutment plates 22 can also be set to be unequal, so that the angles between the two side plates 212 and the first abutment plates 211 are different, and the specific structural parameters of the compression-resistant structure 10 can be determined according to actual needs.

[0063] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , the side of the pressure-resistant structure 10 proximate to the inner sheath 40 defines an inner space 63 therebetween, while the side of the pressure-resistant structure 10 facing the outer sheath 50 defines an outer space 64 therebetween. The two ends of the pressure-resistant structure 10 are opposed to each other and spaced apart, forming a gap 23 connecting the inner space 63 and the outer space 64. The outer sheath 50 defines an opening 53 connecting the outer space 64 to the external environment. In this embodiment, the outer space 64 is formed by the spaces between each support unit 21 and the outer sheath 50, while the inner space 63 is formed by the spaces between each second abutment plate 22 and the inner sheath 40.

[0064] When the pressure-resistant optical cable 100 is placed in an environment with greater hydrostatic pressure and clamping force, the pressure-resistant structure 10 has a certain risk of bending. In this embodiment, by providing a gap 23 in the pressure-resistant structure 10 and an opening 53 in the outer sheath 50, seawater from the external environment can enter the outer space 64 from the opening 53, and seawater in the outer space 64 can enter the inner space 63 from the gap 23. In this way, the pressure-resistant structure 10 has seawater on both sides of the cable core 30 in the radial direction, so that the seawater simultaneously applies pressure to both sides of the pressure-resistant structure 10 in the radial direction, thereby making the static pressure of seawater on the pressure-resistant structure 10 more balanced, so that the pressure-resistant optical cable 100 can still maintain a low deformation in a deeper seawater environment, and achieve a better pressure-resistant effect. In addition, in this embodiment, although seawater can enter the inside of the pressure-resistant structure 10, a first water-blocking structure 61 is provided on the inside of the inner sheath 40, thereby ensuring the waterproof effect of the cable core 30.

[0065] In this embodiment, referring to FIG2 , a second abutment plate 22 is provided at each end of the pressure-resistant structure 10 in the unfolded state. After the pressure-resistant structure 10 is wound around the inner sheath 40, the two second abutment plates 22 at the two ends of the pressure-resistant structure 10 can be spaced apart along the circumference of the cable core 30 to form a gap 23, or can be spaced apart along the radial direction of the cable core 30 (i.e., one second abutment plate 22 is laid on top of another second abutment plate 22) to form the gap 23. In other embodiments, the first abutment plates 211 of the support units 21 at the two ends of the pressure-resistant structure 10 can also be connected to the adjacent second abutment plates 22 only by a side plate 212, so that after the pressure-resistant structure 10 is wound around the inner sheath 40, the gap 23 is formed between the first abutment plates 211 at the two ends of the pressure-resistant structure 10.

[0066] In other embodiments, the pressure-resistant structure 10 may not need to have the gap 23, the outer protective layer 50 may not need to have the opening 53, and the inner space 63 may be filled with a second water-blocking structure 62. The second water-blocking structure 62 can support the pressure-resistant structure 10 from the inside to improve the pressure resistance of the pressure-resistant structure 10. The second water-blocking structure 62 can be specifically configured as water-blocking glue or glass glue.

[0067] In this embodiment, referring to FIG1 , the outer protective layer 50 includes an armor layer 51 and a sheath layer 52. The armor layer 51 is disposed on the outside of the pressure-resistant structure 10, with the outer surface of the pressure-resistant structure 10 abutting against the inner side of the armor layer 51. The armor layer 51 is used to secure the pressure-resistant structure 10 to the inner protective layer 40. The sheath layer 52 is disposed on the outside of the armor layer 51.

[0068] The armor layer 51 can tighten the pressure-resistant structure 10 by pressing against the second abutment plate 22. The armor layer 51 has a certain degree of pressure resistance to reduce the pressure transmitted to the pressure-resistant structure 10, thereby reducing the pressure on the pressure-resistant structure 10 and reducing the deformation of the pressure-resistant structure 10. The outer sheath 50 can be extruded from a waterproof material and molded on the outside of the armor layer 51.

[0069] In this embodiment, multiple armor layers 51 are provided, and the multiple armor layers 51 are spaced apart along the length of the cable core 30. This facilitates the passage of seawater from the gap 23 between two adjacent armor layers 51 into the outer space 64 of the pressure-resistant structure 10 facing the outer sheath 50, and then into the inner space 63 through the gap 23, thereby balancing the pressure on both sides of the pressure-resistant structure 10.

[0070] In this embodiment, the armor layer 51 can be formed by wrapping the compression-resistant structure with galvanized steel strips or steel wires. Using galvanized steel strips to form the armor layer 51 allows for subsequent wrapping of the compression-resistant structure 10, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the compression-resistant optical cable 100. By wrapping the armor layer 51 with steel wires, the multiple steel wires are pressed against the compression-resistant structure 10. This allows the armor layer 51, made of steel wires, to better restrain the compression-resistant structure 10 and better absorb seawater pressure, thereby further reducing the pressure on the compression-resistant structure 10.

[0071] 6 and 7 , this embodiment further provides a method for manufacturing a compression-resistant optical cable 100 , which is used to manufacture the aforementioned compression-resistant optical cable 100 . The method for manufacturing the compression-resistant optical cable 100 includes:

[0072] Providing a cable core 30, and covering the outer side of the cable core 30 with an inner protective layer 40 to obtain a first process product 65;

[0073] A compression-resistant structure 10 in an unfolded state is provided, and the compression-resistant structure 10 and the first process product 65 are simultaneously fed into a tapered stranding die 67 to wind the compression-resistant structure 10 around the outside of the first process product 65, and to make the multiple first abutment plates 211 of the compression-resistant structure 10 abut against the inner sheath 40. Simultaneously, the multiple first abutment plates 211 of the compression-resistant structure 10 abut against each other along the circumference of the cable core 30, and the multiple second abutment plates 22 are spaced apart along the circumference of the cable core 30. The first process product 65 with the compression-resistant structure 10 wound thereon is then passed through a sizing die 68 to make the compression-resistant structure 10 adhere to the first process product 65, thereby obtaining a second process product 66.

[0074] The outer sheath 50 is covered on the outer side of the second process product 66 , and the plurality of second abutting plates 22 of the pressure-resistant structure 10 are abutted against the outer sheath 50 to obtain the pressure-resistant optical cable 100 .

[0075] The crush-resistant optical cable 100 manufactured according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment can simultaneously withstand deep-sea water pressure and the clamping force of the clamp, while generating minimal deformation. This allows the crush-resistant optical cable 100 to be stably and reliably fixed to a deep-sea pipeline or deep-sea equipment under the clamping force, thereby extending the service life of the crush-resistant optical cable 100 in deep-sea environments. This will be explained below by way of example.

[0076] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 8, when the pressure-resistant structure 10 is wound, one end of the pressure-resistant structure 10 is overlapped with the other end of the pressure-resistant structure 10, and a gap 23 is formed; the step of wrapping the outer protective layer 50 on the outside of the second process product 66 includes: wrapping the armor layer 51 on the outside of the second process product 66, and tightening the armor layer 51 to the pressure-resistant structure 10 on the first process product 65; wrapping the sheath layer 52 on the outside of the second process product 66 wrapped with the armor layer 51 through an extrusion mold 69, and the sheath layer 52 and the armor layer 51 form an outer protective layer 50, and opening 53 connected to the inner space 63 of the outer protective layer 50 is opened in the outer protective layer 50 through a hole-opening device 70.

[0077] It can be understood that after forming the opening 53 and the gap 23, there is seawater on both sides of the compression-resistant structure 10 along the radial direction of the cable core 30, so that the seawater exerts pressure on both sides of the compression-resistant structure 10 along the radial direction at the same time, thereby making the static pressure of the seawater on the compression-resistant structure 10 more balanced, so that the compression-resistant optical cable 100 can still maintain a lower deformation in a deeper seawater environment, thereby achieving a better compression-resistant effect.

[0078] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent replacements of the technical solutions of the present application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A compression-resistant structure, characterized in that: The compression-resistant structure can be bent into a ring shape and placed between the inner sheath and the outer sheath of the optical cable. The compression-resistant structure comprises: A plurality of support units, wherein the plurality of support units abut against each other in sequence along the circumference of the inner protective layer, wherein the support units include a first abutting plate abutting against the inner protective layer and two side plates, wherein the two side plates are respectively connected to two ends of the first abutting plate, and the ends of the two side plates away from the first abutting plate are spaced apart, and the spacing between the ends of the two side plates away from the first abutting plate is smaller than the spacing between the two ends of the first abutting plate; A plurality of second abutment plates are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the inner protective layer, and the plurality of second abutment plates respectively abut the outer protective layer, and both ends of each second abutment plate are respectively connected to the two side plates close to each other of each two adjacent support units.

2. The compression-resistant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the pressure-resistant structure is in the unfolded state, the first abutment plate, the two side plates and the second abutment plate are all flat plates, the first abutment plate is parallel to the second abutment plate, two adjacent first abutment plates are spaced apart, and two adjacent second abutment plates are spaced apart.

3. The compression-resistant structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance between two adjacent first abutting plates is equal to the distance between two adjacent second abutting plates, and the angles between the two side plates and the first abutting plates are equal.

4. The compression-resistant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compression-resistant structure is made by bending a thin plate using an embossing process.

5. The compression-resistant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the side plate is connected to the first abutting plate in a circular arc transition, and the other end of the side plate is connected to the second abutting plate in a circular arc transition.

6. A compression-resistant optical cable, characterized in that: include: Cable core; An inner sheath, the inner sheath being arranged on the outer side of the cable core; An outer protective layer, the outer protective layer is arranged on the outer side of the inner protective layer; The pressure-resistant structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pressure-resistant structure is arranged between the inner protective layer and the outer protective layer.

7. The pressure-resistant optical cable according to claim 6, characterized in that: An inner space is defined between the side of the pressure-resistant structure close to the inner protective layer and the inner protective layer, and an outer space is defined between the side of the pressure-resistant structure facing the outer protective layer and the outer protective layer; The two ends of the compression-resistant structure are opposite to each other and spaced apart to form a gap connecting the inner space and the outer space; The outer protective layer is provided with an opening for connecting the outer space with the external environment.

8. The pressure-resistant optical cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The pressure-resistant optical cable further comprises a first water-blocking structure, and the first water-blocking structure is filled between the cable core and the inner sheath.

9. The pressure-resistant optical cable according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pressure-resistant optical cable further comprises a second water-blocking structure, and the second water-blocking structure is filled in an inner space formed by the inner sheath and a side of the pressure-resistant structure facing the inner sheath.

10. A method for manufacturing a compression-resistant optical cable, characterized in that: Used to manufacture a pressure-resistant optical cable according to any one of claims 6 to 9, the method for manufacturing the pressure-resistant optical cable comprising: Providing a cable core, and covering the outer side of the cable core with an inner protective layer to obtain a first process product; Providing the compression-resistant structure in an unfolded state, simultaneously inputting the compression-resistant structure and the first process product into a conical twisting die, so as to wind the compression-resistant structure on the outside of the first process product, and making a plurality of first abutment plates of the compression-resistant structure abut against the inner protective layer, and making a plurality of first abutment plates abut against each other along the circumference of the cable core, and a plurality of second abutment plates are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the cable core, and then making the first process product with the compression-resistant structure wound thereon pass through a sizing die, so that the compression-resistant structure is attached to the first process product, and a second process product is obtained; An outer sheath is coated on the outer side of the second process product, and the second abutting plate of the pressure-resistant structure is abutted against the outer sheath to obtain the pressure-resistant optical cable.

Images