Photoelectric composite cable and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A photoelectric composite cable comprises a cable unit, at least one metal wire, and a sheath. The cable unit comprises at least one optical fiber core and a twisted pair of wires twisted around the optical fiber core. The at least one metal wire is disposed around the cable unit. The sheath covers the cable unit and the at least one metal wire.

Description

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-029435, filed on February 25, 2020, and incorporates by reference all the contents described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a photoelectric composite cable and a method for manufacturing the photoelectric composite cable. Background Art

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-218916 discloses an example of an optoelectronic composite cable having optical fibers and metal wires (electrical wires). This optoelectronic composite cable comprises a unit in which multiple optical fiber cores are bundled into a ribbon and the outer periphery is covered with a tubular resin. Multiple metal wires are arranged in a manner wound around the unit. Other examples of optoelectronic composite cables are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-078435, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-053121, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-185982, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-265780. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an optoelectronic composite cable. The optoelectronic composite cable comprises a cable unit, at least one metal wire, and a sheath. The cable unit comprises at least one optical fiber core wire and a twisted pair of wires twisted around the optical fiber core wire. The at least one metal wire is disposed around the cable unit.

[0005] The sheath covers the cable element and the metal wires.

[0006] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optoelectronic composite cable. The method comprises: forming a cable unit by twisting at least one optical fiber core wire and a twisted pair wire; arranging at least one metal wire around the cable unit; and forming a sheath covering the cable unit and the metal wire. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The above contents and other objects, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the following drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an optoelectronic composite cable according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a cable unit of the optoelectronic composite cable is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an optoelectronic composite cable.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an apparatus for winding a resin tape around a plurality of optical fiber core wires.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an optical fiber core wound with a resin tape.

[0013] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing an apparatus for manufacturing a cable unit.

[0014] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the cable unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0016] The optical fiber composite cable described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-218916 employs a structure in which multiple metal wires are arranged around a central optical fiber unit. It is believed that by adding a twisted pair to this structure, the twisted pair can be arranged around the optical fiber unit along with the other metal wires. However, the outer diameter of the twisted pair is larger than that of a typical metal wire, so the area where the twisted pair is located will expand significantly outward compared to the area where the metal wires are located. Therefore, if the twisted pair is directly incorporated into the existing structure, the shape of the optical fiber composite cable may be deformed or the cable may become larger.

[0017] [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical-electrical composite cable having twisted pairs, being thin and having a good appearance, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0019] [Description of Embodiments of the Invention]

[0020] First, the present invention's embodiments are listed and described. One embodiment of the present invention relates to an optoelectronic composite cable comprising a cable unit, at least one metal wire, and a sheath. The cable unit includes at least one optical fiber core and a twisted pair of wires twisted around the optical fiber core. At least one metal wire is disposed around the cable unit. The sheath covers the cable unit and the metal wire.

[0021] In this optoelectronic composite cable, an optical fiber core and a twisted pair are twisted together to form a cable unit, and a metal wire is arranged around the cable unit. In other words, the twisted pair is arranged closer to the inside of the optoelectronic composite cable than the arrangement position of the metal wire. In this case, the twisted pair does not protrude significantly to the outside of the optoelectronic composite cable, thereby suppressing deformation and expansion. Therefore, an optoelectronic composite cable with good appearance can be provided. In addition, by effectively utilizing the area close to the optical fiber core to arrange the twisted pair, the optoelectronic composite cable can be formed thinner. Thus, according to this embodiment, an optoelectronic composite cable with twisted pair, thinness and good appearance can be realized.

[0022] In one embodiment, the cable unit is disposed substantially in the center of the sheath. This aspect allows for balanced utilization of the area surrounding the cable unit, thereby achieving an overall thin and aesthetically pleasing optoelectronic composite cable.

[0023] As one embodiment, the optical fiber core can be a plurality of optical fiber cores, and the cable unit can have a first adhesive tape wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores. According to this method, the plurality of optical fiber cores are bundled together by the first adhesive tape. Therefore, during the manufacturing process of the optoelectronic composite cable, it is possible to prevent scattered optical fiber cores from being sandwiched between twisted pairs and causing damage, thereby stabilizing and improving the manufacturing efficiency of the optoelectronic composite cable. In this embodiment, the first adhesive tape can be wound helically around the plurality of optical fiber cores along the direction in which the cable unit extends.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first adhesive tape can be a resin tape or can be formed from polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less. In this embodiment, since the first adhesive tape is polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 50 μm or more and has sufficient strength, it can prevent the first adhesive tape from breaking when it is wrapped around the optical fiber core. Furthermore, since the thickness of the first adhesive tape is 500 μm or less, it can prevent the optical fiber composite cable from becoming thicker due to the first adhesive tape.

[0025] As an embodiment, the cable unit may have a second adhesive tape wound around the optical fiber core wire and the twisted pair wire. According to this embodiment, the optical fiber core wire and the twisted pair wire are bundled together without being separated by the second adhesive tape wound around the cable unit. Therefore, in the manufacture of the optoelectronic composite cable, the trouble of scattered optical fiber core wires or twisted pair wires being wound around the manufacturing device can be prevented, thereby achieving stable manufacturing efficiency of the optoelectronic composite cable. In this case, the adhesive tape may be formed of a composite material containing a metal material and a synthetic resin. According to this embodiment, the second adhesive tape containing the metal material has a shielding function and can block noise that invades the twisted pair wire from the outside of the optoelectronic composite cable. Therefore, communication using the optoelectronic composite cable can be stabilized. In this embodiment, the second adhesive tape may contain at least one of copper foil and aluminum foil and polyethylene terephthalate resin.

[0026] In one embodiment, the second adhesive tape may be spirally wound around at least one optical fiber and the twisted pair along the extension direction of the cable unit. The second adhesive tape may be wound so that adjacent pieces of the tape partially overlap. Furthermore, the second adhesive tape may be flat between the point where it contacts the twisted pair and the point where it contacts the first adhesive tape wrapped around the at least one optical fiber.

[0027] In one embodiment, the cable unit may include a drain wire disposed between the twisted pair wires and the second adhesive tape. In this embodiment, the drain wire may be a metal conductive wire.

[0028] In one embodiment, the cable unit may include tension-resistant fibers extending linearly along the cable unit's extension direction. This method prevents the optical fiber core from stretching and causing breakage. In this embodiment, the tension-resistant fibers may be located in at least one of the following areas: an area adjacent to the optical fiber core, an area between the optical fiber core and the twisted pair, an area between a pair of metal wires forming the twisted pair, and an area between the twisted pair and the drain wire.

[0029] A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic composite cable according to one embodiment includes: forming a cable unit by twisting at least one optical fiber core wire and a twisted pair wire; arranging at least one metal wire around the cable unit; and forming a sheath covering the cable unit and the at least one metal wire.

[0030] In this manufacturing method, optical fiber cores and twisted pairs are twisted together to form a unit, and a metal wire is placed around this unit. As a result, the twisted pairs do not significantly protrude outside the optical fiber composite cable, allowing the production of an optical fiber composite cable with suppressed deformation and expansion. Furthermore, since a tubular resin is not required to insert the optical fiber core bundle, the optical fiber composite cable can be made thinner.

[0031] In one embodiment of the manufacturing method, the at least one optical fiber core may be a plurality of optical fiber cores, and the step of forming the cable unit may include winding a resin tape around the plurality of optical fiber cores to form an optical fiber core bundle. Alternatively, the step of forming the cable unit may include winding a composite tape containing a metal material and a synthetic resin around the at least one optical fiber core and the twisted pair cable.

[0032] [Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention]

[0033] Specific examples of the optoelectronic composite cable and its manufacturing method according to the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples but is defined by the scope of the claims and is intended to encompass all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In the description of the drawings, identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a photoelectric composite cable 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 1 The cross section of the optoelectronic composite cable 1 is shown when it is cut in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction. The optoelectronic composite cable 1 includes a cable unit 10 , a plurality of metal wires 30 , a spacer 32 , a sheath 40 , and a metal braid 42 .

[0035] The cable unit 10 is a cable bundle having optical fiber core wires and twisted pair wires, and is housed inside the sheath 40. Figure 2 The detailed structure of the cable unit 10 will be described.

[0036] Figure 2 1 is a cross-sectional view of the cable unit 10 included in the photoelectric composite cable 1. Figure 2 As shown, the cable unit 10 includes a plurality of optical fiber cores 12 , a resin tape 14 , twisted pair wires 20 , a drain wire 22 , a tension-resistant fiber 24 , and a composite tape 26 .

[0037] The optical fiber core 12 is an optical fiber coated with a UV-curable resin, nylon resin, or the like. The optical fiber core 12 has a diameter of, for example, 0.25 mm to 0.9 mm. As an example in this embodiment, the optical fiber composite cable 1 includes eight optical fiber cores 12, but this is not limited to this. The number of optical fiber cores 12 included in the optical fiber composite cable 1 can be at least one. It should be noted that, generally, the optical fiber composite cable 1 includes an even number of optical fiber cores 12.

[0038] The resin tape 14 is a tape wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores 12 (see Figure 5), for example, it is wound spirally in a continuous manner in the extension direction of the optoelectronic composite cable 1. The resin tape 14 can be wound in a manner that the ends of adjacent tapes overlap each other, or it can be wound in a manner that a small gap is generated between the ends of adjacent tapes. The resin tape 14 bundles the multiple optical fiber core wires 12. The resin tape 14 is formed of a synthetic resin, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. The resin tape has a thickness of, for example, 50 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

[0039] The twisted pair 20 is a cable formed by twisting a pair of metal wires 21 at a predetermined pitch. The twisted pair 20 is used for transmitting and receiving electrical signals between electronic devices connected to each other via the optoelectronic composite cable 1. Each pair of metal wires 21 constituting a twisted pair 20 includes: a metal conductor 21a and an insulating coating 21b covering the metal conductor 21a. The metal conductor 21a can be composed of, for example, a single tinned copper wire or copper alloy wire, or can be composed of a conductor formed by twisting multiple (for example, 7) tinned copper wires or copper alloy wires. The metal conductor 21a has an outer diameter of, for example, 0.3 mm or more and 0.65 mm or less. The material of the coating 21b is, for example, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. The coating 21b has a thickness of, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 0.23 mm or less, and an outer diameter of 0.6 mm or more and 1.1 mm or less.

[0040] The drain line 22 is a grounding wire having a shielding function and a composite tape 26. The drain line 22 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the twisted pair 20 and the composite tape 26. The drain line 22 is formed by, for example, bundling bare metal conductors.

[0041] The tensile strength fibers 24 are fibers extending in the extension direction of the cable unit 10. The tensile strength fibers 24 are located inside the composite tape 26 and are arranged in a non-twisted and linear manner. The tensile strength fibers 24 are arranged, for example, in an area adjacent to the optical fiber core 12 (resin tape 14), an area between the optical fiber core 12 (resin tape 14) and the twisted pair 20, an area between a pair of metal wires 21 constituting the twisted pair 20, or an area between the twisted pair 20 and the drain wire 22. The tensile strength fibers 24 are fibers having tensile strength, such as synthetic fibers of polyamide (aramid fibers). In order to effectively exert tensile strength, it is preferred to arrange the tensile strength fibers 24 in as straight a shape as possible. By arranging the tensile strength fibers 24 next to the optical fiber core 12, breakage of the optical fiber core 12 can be prevented.

[0042] Composite tape 26 is wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores 12, twisted pair cables 20, and drain wires 22. When used as a shielding layer, composite tape 26 is formed from a composite material containing a metal material and a synthetic resin (plastic material). For example, composite tape 26 is a metallic resin tape formed by forming copper or aluminum foil onto a resin tape made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. When composite tape 26 is formed from a material containing a metal material, it provides a shielding function for the twisted pair cables 20 housed therein.

[0043] return Figure 1 , the position of the cable unit 10 in the optoelectronic composite cable 1 will be described. The cable unit 10 is located approximately in the center of the sheath 40. Here, the cable unit 10 is located approximately in the center of the sheath 40 means: Figure 1 In the cross-section of the optoelectronic composite cable 1 shown, the cable unit 10 is arranged so that the central axis of the sheath 40 is located within the outer edge of the cable unit 10 (in this embodiment, inside the composite tape 26). In other words, the central axis of the cable unit 10 does not necessarily coincide with the central axis of the sheath 40.

[0044] use Figure 1 , the internal structure of the optoelectronic composite cable 1 is further described. A plurality of metal wires 30 are arranged around the cable unit 10. Each metal wire 30 is a cable formed by covering the outer side of a metal conductor with an insulating coating. The metal wire 30 is used to supply power or transmit and receive electrical signals between electronic devices connected to each other through the optoelectronic composite cable 1. In this embodiment, 9 metal wires 30 are arranged, but the number of metal wires 30 can be at least 1. In addition, metal wires 30 with different outer diameters are arranged, but the outer diameter of the metal wire 30 can be any size, or all metal wires 30 can have the same outer diameter. Even the metal wire 30 with the largest outer diameter has an outer diameter of (for example) 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The metal wire 30 has an outer diameter that is smaller than the range in which the twisted pair 20 is twisted around the central axis, that is, the range defined by the outer diameter of the composite tape 26 in this embodiment. In other words, the outer diameter of the cable unit 10 is larger than the outer diameter of the metal wire 30.

[0045] Spacers 32 are placed between the different metal wires 30 and outside the cable unit 10. Spacers 32 are used to fill the gaps between the metal wires 30 and prevent the metal wires 30 from shifting within the optoelectronic composite cable 1. For example, PP yarn made of polypropylene that has been subjected to a low-shrinkage treatment can be used as spacers 32.

[0046] The sheath 40 covers the cable unit 10 and the plurality of metal wires 30, thereby protecting the entire optoelectronic composite cable 1. The sheath 40 is formed into a cylindrical shape and houses the cable unit 10 and the metal wires 30. The material of the sheath 40 can be, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin. The sheath 40 has a thickness of, for example, 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and an outer diameter of 2 mm to 10 mm.

[0047] A metal braid 42 is further provided between the plurality of metal wires 30 and the sheath 40. The metal braid 42 provides a shielding function, blocking electromagnetic noise from invading the metal wires 30 and the cable unit 10 from the outside, thereby enabling stable communication using the optoelectronic composite cable 1. The metal braid 42 can be, for example, braided from metal conductors such as tinned copper wire or copper alloy wire. The metal braid 42 has a thickness of, for example, approximately 0.1 mm.

[0048] Next, use Figures 3 to 6 A method for manufacturing the optical-electrical composite cable 1 will be described. Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the optoelectronic composite cable 1 .

[0049] First, a process is performed in which the resin tape 14 is wound around the plurality of optical fibers 12 to form the plurality of optical fibers 12 into one component (optical fiber bundle 16 ) (step S10 ). Figure 4 The device 50 for winding the resin tape 14 around the optical fiber core wire 12 is shown. The device 50 includes an optical fiber supply unit 52, a tape supply unit 54, and a winding unit 56.

[0050] The optical fiber supply unit 52 has a plurality of reels 52a on which the optical fiber core wires 12 are respectively wound. The number of reels 52a provided in the optical fiber supply unit 52 corresponds to the number of optical fiber core wires 12 accommodated in the optical fiber composite cable 1. In this embodiment, the optical fiber supply unit 52 has eight reels 52a, but Figure 4 The optical fiber supply unit 52 transfers the optical fiber cores 12 from the respective reels 52a to the adhesive tape supply unit 54. The apparatus 50 may also include an adjustment roller between the optical fiber supply unit 52 and the adhesive tape supply unit 54 to eliminate deflection caused by stretching the respective optical fiber cores 12 at a predetermined tension.

[0051] The tape supply unit 54 winds the resin tape 14 around the plurality of optical fiber core wires 12 . Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows a method of winding the resin tape 14 around the plurality of optical fiber cores 12. Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, resin tape 14 is spirally wound around the plurality of optical fibers 12. In this case, the resin tape 14 can be partially overlapped and wound around adjacent resin tapes 14 to cover the entire surface of the plurality of optical fibers 12. Alternatively, the resin tape 14 can be wound with gaps between adjacent resin tapes 14, so that a portion of the surface of the optical fibers 12 is exposed. Hereinafter, the bundle of the plurality of optical fibers 12 wound with resin tape 14 is referred to as an "optical fiber bundle 16."

[0052] When the resin tape 14 is wound around the optical fiber core wire 12, the optical fiber core wire bundle 16 is delivered to the Figure 4 The winding unit 56 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a reel, and uses the reel to wind up the delivered optical fiber bundle 16. Step S10 is now completed.

[0053] Next, the optical fiber bundle 16 (plural optical fiber core wires 12) and the twisted pair 20 are twisted together (step S11), and the composite tape 26 is wound around the cable unit 10 (step S12). Figure 6 Step S11 and step S12 will be described. Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an apparatus 60 for manufacturing the cable unit 10. The apparatus 60 includes a cable supply unit 62, a fiber supply unit 64, a tape supply unit 66, and a winding unit 68.

[0054] The cable supply unit 62 includes reels 62a, 62b, and 62c. The optical fiber core bundle 16 is wound around the reel 62a. The twisted pair cable 20 is wound around the reel 62b. The drain cable 22 is wound around the reel 62c.

[0055] The optical fiber bundle 16, the twisted pair 20, and the drain wire 22 are delivered from the respective reels 62a, 62b, and 62c to the tape supply unit 66. The delivered optical fiber bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20 are twisted at a predetermined pitch. For example, the optical fiber bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20 are twisted in a direction from the cable supply unit 62 toward the tape supply unit 66 ( Figure 6 The cable supply unit 62 is rotated at a predetermined speed with the axis (direction from right to left) as the rotation axis, thereby twisting the optical fiber core bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20. The drain wire 22 may be further twisted or arranged to extend linearly.

[0056] The fiber supply unit 64 includes a plurality of reels 64a. Tension-resistant fibers 24 are wound around each reel 64a. The tension-resistant fibers 24 are transferred from the reels 64a to the tape supply unit 66. Upon reaching the tape supply unit 66, the tension-resistant fibers 24 are bundled with the optical fiber bundle 16, the twisted pair cables 20, and the drain wire 22. However, the tension-resistant fibers 24 may be arranged so as to extend linearly, rather than being twisted with the optical fiber bundle 16 and the like.

[0057] The device 60 may also include an adjustment roller between the cable supply portion 62 and the tape supply portion 66 to remove deflection caused by stretching the optical fiber core bundle 16, twisted pair cables 20, and drain cables 22 at a predetermined tension. Furthermore, the device 60 may also include an adjustment roller between the fiber supply portion 64 and the tape supply portion 66 to remove deflection caused by stretching the tension-resistant fiber 24 at a predetermined tension.

[0058] The tape supply unit 66 winds the composite tape 26 around the optical fiber core bundle 16, the twisted pair 20, the drain wire 22 and the tension-resistant fiber 24. Figure 5 In the same manner as shown in the winding of the resin tape 14, the optical fiber bundle 16, the twisted pair 20, the drain wire 22, and the tensile strength fiber 24 are bundled together, and the composite tape 26 is spirally wound around them. In order to provide a shielding function to the composite tape 26 formed by containing a metal material, it is preferable to wrap adjacent composite tapes 26 so that they overlap partially and cover the entire surface of the optical fiber bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20. In other words, the composite tape 26 is wound so that no gaps are formed between the wound composite tapes 26.

[0059] The cable unit 10 is completed by wrapping the optical fiber core bundle 16, the twisted pair wires 20, the drain wire 22, and the tensile strength fiber 24 with the composite tape 26. The completed cable unit 10 is delivered to Figure 6 The winding unit 68 is shown in FIG. The winding unit 68 includes a reel, and the reel winds up the delivered cable unit 10. At this point, step S11 and step S12 are completed.

[0060] Next, a process of twisting a plurality of metal wires 30 around the cable unit 10 is performed (step S13). Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of metal wires 30 having different outer diameters are twisted to surround the cable unit 10. At this time, a predetermined amount of spacers 32 are twisted around the cable unit 10 together with the metal wires 30 to fill the gaps between the metal wires 30.

[0061] Next, after step S13 is completed, a process is performed to form a metal braid 42 and a sheath 40 outside the metal wires 30 and the like (step S14). Specifically, the metal braid 42 is wound around the plurality of metal wires 30, and the sheath 40 is formed by extrusion. This completes the manufacturing process of the optoelectronic composite cable 1.

[0062] As described above, according to the optoelectronic composite cable 1, the optical fiber core 12 and the twisted pair 20 are twisted together to form the cable unit 10, and the metal wire 30 is arranged around the cable unit 10. That is, the optoelectronic composite cable 1 is configured such that the twisted pair 20 is arranged closer to the inside of the optoelectronic composite cable 1 than the arrangement position of the metal wire 30. In this case, the twisted pair 20 does not protrude significantly to the outside of the optoelectronic composite cable 1, thereby suppressing deformation and expansion. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optoelectronic composite cable 1 with a good appearance. In addition, by effectively utilizing the area near the optical fiber core 12 to arrange the twisted pair 20, the optoelectronic composite cable 1 can be formed thinner. Thus, it is possible to realize an optoelectronic composite cable 1 that has the twisted pair 20 and is thin and has a good appearance.

[0063] According to the optoelectronic composite cable 1, the cable unit 10 is disposed substantially in the center of the sheath 40. This configuration allows the area around the cable unit 10 to be used in a balanced manner, thereby achieving an overall thin optoelectronic composite cable 1 having a good appearance.

[0064] In the optoelectronic composite cable 1, the optical fiber cores 12 are multiple optical fiber cores 12, and the cable unit 10 includes a resin tape 14 wrapped around the multiple optical fiber cores 12. In this manner, the multiple optical fiber cores 12 are bundled together by the resin tape 14. Therefore, during the manufacturing process of the optoelectronic composite cable 1, it is possible to prevent the scattered optical fiber cores 12 from being caught between the twisted pair cables 20 and causing damage, thereby stabilizing and improving the manufacturing efficiency of the optoelectronic composite cable 1.

[0065] In the optical fiber composite cable 1, the resin tape 14 is formed from polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness of 50 μm or greater and 500 μm or less. This configuration prevents the resin tape 14 from breaking when it is wrapped around the optical fiber core 12 because the resin tape 14 is made of polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness of 50 μm or greater and possesses sufficient strength. Furthermore, since the resin tape 14 is 500 μm or less in thickness, the optical fiber composite cable 1 can be prevented from becoming thicker due to the resin tape 14.

[0066] According to the optoelectronic composite cable 1 involved in this embodiment, the cable unit 10 has a composite tape 26 wound around the optical fiber core 12 and the twisted pair 20. According to this method, the optical fiber core 12 and the twisted pair 20 can be bundled together without separating by winding the composite tape 26 around the cable unit 10. Therefore, in the manufacture of the optoelectronic composite cable 1, the trouble of the scattered optical fiber core 12 and the twisted pair 20 being entangled in the manufacturing device can be prevented, thereby achieving stable manufacturing efficiency of the optoelectronic composite cable 1. In this case, the composite tape 26 can be formed of a composite material containing a metal material and a synthetic resin. According to this method, the composite tape 26 containing the metal material has a shielding function and can block noise that invades the twisted pair 20 from the outside of the optoelectronic composite cable 1. Therefore, stable communication using the optoelectronic composite cable 1 can be achieved.

[0067] According to the optoelectronic composite cable 1 of this embodiment, the cable unit 10 includes the tension-resistant fibers 24 extending linearly along the extending direction of the cable unit 10. In this manner, the tension-resistant fibers 24 can prevent the optical fiber core 12 from being stretched and broken.

[0068] According to the method for manufacturing an optical fiber composite cable 1 according to this embodiment, the optical fiber core wires 12 and the twisted pair wires 20 are twisted together to form a unit, and the metal wire 30 is arranged around the cable unit 10. Therefore, the twisted pair wires 20 do not protrude significantly outside the optical fiber composite cable 1, thereby enabling the manufacture of an optical fiber composite cable 1 that suppresses deformation and expansion. Furthermore, since a tubular resin is not required to insert the bundle of optical fiber core wires 12, the optical fiber composite cable 1 can be formed relatively thin.

[0069] [Modification]

[0070] Here, use Figure 7 Modifications of the cable unit 10 will be described. Figure 7 10A is a cross-sectional view of a cable unit according to a modified example. Figure 2 The differences from other embodiments described are described, and the description of the common points is sometimes omitted.

[0071] The cable unit 10A includes a plurality of optical fiber core wires 12 and a resin tape 14 wound around the optical fiber core wires 12. Figure 2In the embodiment shown, in the cross-sectional view of the cable unit 10, the optical fiber core wires 12 are arranged in rows of four, and two rows are arranged substantially in parallel. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the resin tape 14 that winds the optical fiber core wires 12 is a flat elliptical shape. On the other hand, for the optical fiber core wires 12 of the cable unit 10A involved in this modification, the other optical fiber core wires 12 are arranged so as to surround one optical fiber core wire 12 in the cross-sectional view of the cable unit 10A. Therefore, Figure 2 Compared to the embodiment shown, the cross-sectional shape of the resin tape 14 is closer to a circle.

[0072] The cable unit 10A has a composite tape 26 wound around the optical fiber core 12 and the twisted pair 20. In the cross-sectional view of the cable unit 10A, the two metal wires 21 constituting the twisted pair 20 and the optical fiber core bundle 16 are arranged so as to be located at the vertices of a triangle. Therefore, in the cross-sectional view, the composite tape 26 is wound in a roughly triangular manner. In the composite tape 26, the area connecting the twisted pair 20 and the optical fiber core bundle 16 is roughly flat. On the other hand, a drain wire 22 is arranged between the two metal wires constituting the twisted pair 20 and the composite tape 26. Therefore, in the composite tape 26, the area connecting the two metal wires constituting the twisted pair 20 is arranged to expand outward in an arc-shaped manner.

[0073] and Figure 5 Similarly to the resin tape 14 shown, the composite tape 26 is wound spirally around the optical fiber core bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20. At this time, the composite tape 26 is wound in a manner that overlaps a portion thereof so as to cover the entire surface of the optical fiber core bundle 16 and the twisted pair 20. Figure 7 As shown in the cross-sectional view, a portion of the composite tape 26 overlaps the outer surface of the optical fiber core bundle 16 ( Figure 1 Same, but omitted).

[0074] Cable unit 10A includes tension-resistant fibers 24. In this variation, tension-resistant fibers 24 are arranged not only in the space between optical fiber core 12 and twisted pair 20, but also in the space between twisted pair 20 and drain wire 22, or between twisted pair 20 and composite tape 26. It should be noted that tension-resistant fibers 24 are not limited to the aforementioned spaces and may also be arranged in other spaces within composite tape 26.

[0075] As in this modified example, by forming the region of the composite tape 26 connecting the twisted pair 20 and the optical fiber core bundle 16 in a substantially flat manner, it is possible to suppress the cable unit 10A from becoming thicker even when the composite tape 26 is provided. Figure 1Compared with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the shape of the cable unit 10A can be made smaller. Therefore, according to this modification, a thinner photoelectric composite cable 1 with a good appearance can be realized.

[0076] By wrapping a portion of the composite tape 26 in an overlapping manner as in this modification, the entire surface of the twisted pair 20 can be covered without gaps, thereby more reliably blocking noise with the composite tape 26. Furthermore, in this modification, the tension-resistant fibers 24 are arranged in multiple spaces within the composite tape 26. Therefore, even if tension is applied to the optical fiber core 12, breakage or the like can be further prevented.

[0077] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be applied to various embodiments. In addition, the outer diameters and thicknesses of the above components or the number of optical fibers and metal wires are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic composite cable comprising: a cable unit comprising at least one optical fiber core and a twisted pair of wires twisted on the at least one optical fiber core; at least one metal wire disposed around the cable unit, and a sheath covering the cable unit and the at least one metal wire, The at least one optical fiber core wire is a plurality of optical fiber core wires, The cable unit includes a first adhesive tape wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores. The plurality of optical fiber core wires and the twisted pair wires wound with the first adhesive tape are twisted together.

2. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1, wherein: The cable unit is arranged substantially at the center of the sheath.

3. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The first tape is formed of polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness of 50 μm to 500 μm.

4. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The first adhesive tape is spirally wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores along the extending direction of the cable unit.

5. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The plurality of optical fiber core wires each have a diameter of 0.25 mm or more and 0.9 mm or less.

6. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The plurality of optical fiber cores are an even number of optical fiber cores.

7. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The cable unit includes a second adhesive tape wound around the plurality of optical fiber core wires and the twisted pair wires.

8. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The second tape is formed of a composite material containing a metal material and a synthetic resin.

9. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The second tape contains at least one of copper foil and aluminum foil, and polyethylene terephthalate resin.

10. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The second adhesive tape is spirally wound around the plurality of optical fiber core wires and the twisted pair wires along an extending direction of the cable unit.

11. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The second tape is wound so that adjacent tapes partially overlap.

12. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The second adhesive tape is flat between a point where it contacts the twisted pair and a point where it contacts the first adhesive tape wound around the plurality of optical fibers.

13. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 7, wherein: The cable unit includes a drain wire disposed so as to be sandwiched between the twisted pair wires and the second tape.

14. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 13, wherein: The drain line is a metal conductive wire.

15. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The cable unit has tension-resistant fibers on its inner side extending linearly along a direction in which the cable unit extends.

16. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 13, wherein: The cable unit has tension-resistant fibers on its inner side extending linearly along a direction in which the cable unit extends.

17. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 16, wherein: The tensile strength fiber is arranged in at least one of a region adjacent to the optical fiber core, a region between the optical fiber core and the twisted pair, a region between a pair of metal wires constituting the twisted pair, and a region between the twisted pair and the drain wire.

18. The optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The twisted pair cables are in direct contact with the first adhesive tape wound around the plurality of optical fiber cores.

19. A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic composite cable, comprising: The process of twisting at least one optical fiber core wire with a twisted pair wire to form a cable unit; a step of arranging at least one metal wire around the cable unit; and forming a sheath covering the cable unit and the at least one metal wire, The at least one optical fiber core wire is a plurality of optical fiber core wires, The process of forming the cable unit includes the steps of winding a resin tape around the plurality of optical fiber core wires to form an optical fiber core wire bundle, and twisting the optical fiber core wire bundle and the twisted pair wires.

20. The method for manufacturing an optoelectronic composite cable according to claim 19, wherein: The process of forming the cable unit includes winding a composite tape containing a metal material and a synthetic resin around the optical fiber core bundle and the twisted pair wires.

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