Optical cable assembly and optical cable testing method

Abstract

The application discloses an optical cable assembly and an optical cable testing method. The optical cable assembly comprises an optical cable wire having a testing end, and a disc for winding the optical cable wire. The disc is provided with a connecting assembly having an optical cable connecting port and a testing port. The connecting assembly is used for connecting objects at both ends of the connecting assembly. The testing end of the optical cable wire is connected to the connecting assembly as an object at one end of the optical cable connecting port. The testing port is located at an operable area of the disc to connect a testing device for optical cable testing to form an optical path between the testing device and the optical cable wire. The optical cable assembly with the above structure is used for optical cable testing. One optical cable jumper is directly used to connect the testing port and the testing device, and the whole process is fast and environment-friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical fiber communication, and in particular to an optical cable assembly and an optical cable testing method. Background Technology

[0002] Optical cables need to be wound onto a reel for storage. At the factory, the inner end of the cable extends a certain distance from the central axis of the reel and is then fixed to the side plate. Upon arrival at the construction site, the workers need to test the attenuation and reel length of the entire cable reel. The specific operating procedure is as follows: 1. First, remove the inner end from the side plate; 2. Strip the outer sheath and loose tube of this section of the cable to expose the optical fiber; 3. Clean the grease on the optical fiber using alcohol and paper towels; 4. Use pliers to peel off the colored layer of the optical fiber, place it in a V-groove, and quickly connect it to a pigtail; 5. Insert the other end of the pigtail into an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) and obtain the attenuation and reel length information by reading the information from the OTD. The above testing procedure is cumbersome and has many drawbacks, as follows: 1. Passing optical fibers and pigtails through V-grooves requires extensive operational experience, and the success rate for novices is very low; 2. Pigtails are bulky and inconvenient to carry on-site (especially in the field); 3. Stripping optical cables is very cumbersome, especially armored cables, and it usually takes two people about an hour to strip one; 4. Wiping with grease requires a lot of paper towels and alcohol, which is not environmentally friendly and is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides an optical cable assembly and an optical cable testing method to solve the technical problems of inconvenient operation, high requirements for operator experience, long time consumption, and environmentally unfriendly testing process in existing optical cable construction and testing.

[0004] According to one aspect of this application, an optical cable assembly is provided, comprising:

[0005] Optical fiber cable with a test terminal;

[0006] A reel, used for winding the optical cable;

[0007] The reel has a connecting component with an optical cable connection port and a test port. The connecting component is used to connect objects at both ends of the connecting component. The test end of the optical cable is connected to the connecting component as one end of the optical cable connection port. The test port is located in the operable area of ​​the reel so that a test device can be connected during optical cable testing to form an optical path between the test device and the optical cable.

[0008] Furthermore, the reel includes a side plate and a winding section, the optical cable is wound on the winding section to form a wire winding area, and the test port is located on one side of the side plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the side plate is located on one side of the wire winding area as the inner side, and the other side of the side plate is the outer side; the test port is located on the outer side of the side plate, and the optical cable connection port is located on one side of the inner side of the side plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the optical cable connection port is located on the side plate corresponding to the outside of the wire winding area, and the test end of the optical cable is led out from the inside of the wire winding area to the outside of the wire winding area and connected to the optical cable connection port.

[0011] Furthermore, the winding portion has a skeleton for winding the optical cable on the skeleton to form the winding area, and an inner cavity is formed inside the winding area, with the optical cable connection port located on the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the test end of the optical cable passes through the inside of the cable winding area into the inner cavity and is connected to the optical cable connection port.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer side of the wire winding area and the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity each have at least one through hole penetrating the side plate. The test end of the optical cable is led out from the inside of the wire winding area to the outside of the wire winding area, passes through the through hole on the side plate corresponding to the outside of the wire winding area to the outer side of the side plate, and then passes through the through hole on the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity to the inner side of the side plate and is connected to the optical cable connection port.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer side of the side plate has a groove, and the portion of the optical cable located on the outer side of the side plate is placed in the groove.

[0015] Furthermore, the connection component includes a fiber optic quick connector for connecting the test end of the optical cable to the test port.

[0016] Furthermore, the connection assembly includes a hollow flexible tube, the test end is an exposed optical fiber, and the hollow flexible tube is fitted over the exposed optical fiber and connected to the test port.

[0017] Furthermore, the connection assembly includes an optical fiber splitter and a hollow flexible tube. The test end connects to the test port after the optical fiber in the test end is threaded through the optical fiber splitter into the hollow flexible tube.

[0018] Furthermore, the fiber optic splitter is externally covered with a protective sleeve at its inlet end.

[0019] Furthermore, the fiber optic splitter is fixed to the side plate.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, a method for testing optical cables is provided, which uses the optical cable assembly described in the first aspect of this application, and connects one end of an optical cable patch cord to a test port on the optical cable assembly and the other end to the test equipment for testing.

[0021] In this embodiment, the test end of the optical fiber is connected to the optical cable connection port of the connection component, and the test port on the connection component is exposed in an operable area for connection to the test equipment during optical cable testing. The above structure is pre-configured on the optical cable component, so that optical cable testing can begin at the construction site simply by connecting the test port and the test equipment with an optical cable jumper. The entire optical path construction process does not rely on experience and is fast and environmentally friendly. Operators do not have direct contact with the optical cable, which solves the problems of the prior art, which requires removing the optical cable and cumbersome stripping of the optical cable, which is time-consuming and environmentally unfriendly, as well as the problem of requiring a high degree of experience to construct the connection between the optical cable and the pigtail. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a side view of an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a side plate in an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the optical cable arrangement position of an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the optical cable arrangement position of an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the optical cable arrangement position of an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optical fiber splitter in the optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application after it is opened;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the coupler structure in an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a side view of the coupler in an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the recessed hole for coupler installation in an optical cable assembly according to an embodiment of this application.

[0033] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0034] Side plate 1, optical cable 2, recessed hole 3, coupler 4, fiber optic splitter 5, groove 6, hollow flexible tube 7, inlet hole 8-1, outlet hole 8-2, fiber optic quick connector 9, outer hole 10, inner hole 11, top cover 12, bottom cover 13, upper fixing hole 14, lower fixing hole 15, boss 16, card holder 17, test port 18. Detailed Implementation

[0035] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0036] Given that existing optical cables wound on reels require multiple tests during installation, it is necessary to provide a structure and method for rapid testing to facilitate these tests more conveniently. In existing technology, the test end of the optical cable wound on the reel is located at the innermost part of the coil during winding. At the factory, the test end is simply pulled from the inside of the coil to the outside and exposed and fixed, allowing the tester to access it. However, the test end itself is not treated, requiring the tester to perform complex stripping and splicing operations before testing. Addressing these inconveniences, embodiments of the present invention provide an optical cable assembly in which the test end of the optical cable wound on the reel is pre-treated at the factory, providing a port for the tester to establish an optical path between the test equipment and the optical cable under test. The tester can then easily complete the test by directly connecting the test equipment to the port using optical fiber communication cables, making it convenient for users.

[0037] Therefore, the optical cable assembly structure of this application embodiment includes:

[0038] The optical cable 2 has a test end and the other end is the end used for laying during construction. The two ends together constitute the entire optical cable 2.

[0039] A reel is used to wind the optical cable 2. Since the end used for laying needs to be constantly taken from the reel, this end is usually exposed to the outside of the coil, while the other end is usually located inside the coil during winding. Since the other end needs to be used as a test end, it is necessary to make certain position adjustments to the test end so that the optical fiber at the test end can easily form an optical path with the external test equipment.

[0040] The reel has a connecting component with an optical cable connection port and a test port 18. The connecting component is used to connect objects at both ends of the connecting component. The test end of the optical cable 2 is connected to the connecting component as one end of the optical cable connection port. The test port 18 is located in the operable area of ​​the reel so that a test device can be connected during optical cable testing to form an optical path between the test device and the optical cable 2.

[0041] In the above structure, the test end of the optical cable is pre-connected to the connection component. Test personnel do not need to operate the test end directly; instead, they connect it to the test equipment via the connection component, thus establishing an optical path between the test end and the external test equipment. The connection component is exposed in an accessible area for easy operation. The test port 18 on the connection component can be configured with an optical cable patch cord with a matching connector. Connecting the patch cord to the test port 18 via its connector and to the test equipment via the other end of the patch cord allows the test end to be connected to the test equipment. Typically, the connection between the test equipment and the patch cord is also a matching port connection. The connection between the patch cord, the test port 18, and the test equipment can be achieved using standard connectors. These connections are usually simple and reliable methods such as plug-in or threaded connections, making the entire process of establishing the optical path from the test port 18 to the test equipment very convenient and reliable. It does not rely on manual experience and is time-saving, labor-saving, and environmentally friendly.

[0042] To facilitate the establishment of the optical path, the position of the test port 18 is fixed for better operation. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the reel includes a side plate 1 and a winding section. The optical cable 2 is wound around the winding section to form a winding area. The test port 18 is located on one side of the side plate 1. Typically, the side plate 1 is a thin, circular plate with an outer diameter larger than the winding section. At the construction site, the side plate 1 stands upright on the ground, while the winding section is suspended. Rolling the side plate 1 facilitates the movement of the entire optical cable assembly. The side plate 1 has a large area, allowing for the selection of a suitable location as the fixed area for the test port 18.

[0043] In some preferred embodiments, the side plate 1 is located on the inner side of the wire winding area, and the other side of the side plate 1 is the outer side; the test port 18 is located on the outer side of the side plate 1, and the optical cable connection port is located on the inner side of the side plate 1. Since the outer side of the side plate 1 has more operable space, it is more convenient for the tester to operate the test port 18 on the outer side. Since the main body of the optical cable is located on the inner side of the side plate 1, the optical cable connection port is also located on the inner side of the side plate 1 for convenient connection to the test end of the optical cable. Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the side plate 1 has a recessed hole 3 for installing the connecting component. The two ends of the connecting component are located on the inner and outer sides of the side plate 1, respectively. The end located on the outer side of the side plate 1 is the test port 18, and the end located on the inner side of the side plate 1 is the optical cable connection port.

[0044] In some embodiments, the optical cable connection port is located on the side plate 1 corresponding to the outer side of the wire winding area, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the test end of the optical cable 2 extends from the inside of the cable winding area to the outside of the cable winding area and connects to the optical cable connection port. The position of the test end in this embodiment is similar to that in the prior art. The difference is that in the prior art, the test end is usually directly and detachably fixed to the side plate 1 for easy access by the tester. In these embodiments, the side plate 1 itself does not directly fix the test end; instead, it provides a fixed position for the connecting component, which is then connected to the test end, thus positioning the test end relative to the side plate 1.

[0045] In the above implementation example, the test end is located outside the winding area. The test end and other parts of the optical cable 2 may interfere with each other during the construction of the optical cable 2. In some preferred embodiments, the winding section has a skeleton so that the optical cable 2 is wound around the skeleton to form the winding area. An inner cavity is formed inside the winding area, and the optical cable connection port is located on the side plate 1 corresponding to the inner cavity. Figure 1-4 as well as Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the skeleton is a cylindrical structure with an internal cavity. In other embodiments, the skeleton consists of multiple rods parallel to the same cylindrical axis, each approximately located on the outer circumference of the cylinder, also with an internal cavity. By moving the optical cable connection port to the area corresponding to the internal cavity, the test end also needs to be moved to the corresponding position. This avoids mutual interference with other positions of the optical cable 2 and also prevents damage from other external forces.

[0046] In some preferred embodiments, since the optical cable 2 is wound outside the skeleton, the test end of the optical cable 2 passes through the interior of the winding area into the inner cavity and connects to the optical cable connection port. For example... Figure 6 As shown, for a skeletonized core structure, the test end can be introduced into the inner cavity by drilling a hole in the side wall of the cylinder. Similarly, for a rod-shaped skeleton structure, the test end can be directly introduced into the inner cavity through the gap between the rods. Since only a small hole is usually left between the inner cavity and the external operable area, the test end of the above structures is almost unaffected by external construction, which can effectively ensure the stability of the test end connection.

[0047] In some other embodiments, the test terminal can also be used as follows: Figure 1 Move it to the fiber optic connection port location as shown. (Example) Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the outer side of the wire winding area and the side plate 1 corresponding to the inner cavity each have at least one through hole penetrating the side plate 1. One through hole is an inlet hole 8-1 and the other through hole is an outlet hole 8-2. The test end of the optical cable 2 is led out from the inside of the wire winding area to the outside of the wire winding area, and passes through the through hole (outlet hole 8-2) on the side plate 1 corresponding to the outside of the wire winding area to the outer side of the side plate 1. Then, it passes through the through hole (inlet hole 8-1) on the side plate 1 corresponding to the inner cavity to the inner side of the side plate 1 and is connected to the optical cable connection port.

[0048] In the above embodiments, in order to accommodate the optical cable 2 located on the outer side of the side plate 1, the outer side of the side plate 1 has a groove 6, and the portion of the optical cable 2 located on the outer side of the side plate 1 is placed in the groove 6. In some preferred embodiments, the groove 6 may also be equipped with a covering component to shield objects inside the groove 6, thereby protecting the optical cable 2 inside the groove 6 and making the outer side of the side plate 1 smoother.

[0049] Based on the above embodiments, there are certain preferred implementation methods regarding the connection method between the test terminal and the connection component. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 , Figure 4 Figure 5 and Figure 6 In order to reliably connect the test end and the connection component, the connection component, in addition to providing two ports, also includes a fiber optic quick connector 9. The fiber optic quick connector 9 is used to connect the test end of the optical cable 2 to the test port 18, realizing a fast and effective connection between the test end and the test port 18.

[0050] Since ordinary optical fiber cable 2 is not easily bent, a softer optical fiber cable 2 is needed to facilitate smoother connection of the test end to the test port 18. Therefore, in some preferred embodiments, a hollow flexible tube 7 is also provided for the connection assembly, and the test end is an exposed optical fiber, such as... Figure 1-2 as well as Figure 4-6 As shown, the hollow flexible tube 7 is fitted over the exposed optical fiber, making it easier to bend. The hollow flexible tube 7 also replaces the original optical fiber sheath to protect the optical fiber, thus facilitating the connection of the test end to the test port 18. By using the optical fiber quick connector 9 from the above embodiment at the flexible end of the hollow tube, a quick connection to the test port 18 can be achieved.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the fiber optic tail at the test end remains within the original protective sleeve; that is, part of the fiber optic cable is inserted into the hollow flexible tube 7, while the other part remains within the original protective sleeve. This inevitably results in some exposed fiber optic cable between the original protective sleeve and the hollow flexible tube 7. Therefore, in some preferred embodiments, considering both bending requirements and adequate protection of the optical cable 2, an optical fiber splitter 5 is added. The structure of the optical fiber splitter 5 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, it includes an upper cover 12 and a lower cover 13. The upper cover 12 has an upper fixing hole 14, and the lower cover 13 has a lower fixing hole 15. The upper cover 12 and the lower cover 13 are detachable. When the upper cover 12 and the lower cover 13 are closed, they form a cavity, and at this time, the upper fixing hole 14 and the lower fixing hole 15 are aligned with each other. Connect the inlet end of the fiber optic splitter 5 to the end of the original protective sleeve, i.e. Figure 7 The thicker conduit on the left connects the outlet of the fiber optic splitter 5 to the hollow flexible tube 7 (the thinner conduit on the right in the diagram). The optical fiber can extend from the original protective sleeve, pass through the inner cavity of the fiber optic splitter 5, enter the hollow flexible tube 7, and finally connect to the test port 18 along with the hollow flexible tube 7. Thus, any portion of the optical fiber exposed between the original protective sleeve and the hollow flexible tube 7 is located inside the fiber optic splitter 5, which protects this portion of the fiber. In this way, the fiber optic splitter 5, with its hollow flexible tube 7, replaces the original protective sleeve to protect the optical fiber.

[0052] Since the stability of the fiber optic splitter 5 is crucial to prevent it from serving as a component for protecting the fiber optic cable, in some preferred embodiments, the fiber optic splitter 5 is externally wrapped with a protective sleeve at its inlet and / or outlet ends to maintain the relative position between the fiber optic splitter 5 and the original protective sleeve and / or hollow tube. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the fiber optic splitter 5 is fixed relative to the side plate 1. The upper fixing hole 14 and lower fixing hole 15 on the fiber optic splitter 5 can be fixed to the side plate 1 by screws or other fasteners, thereby fixing the fiber optic splitter 5 and thus better protecting the internal optical fiber.

[0053] The components involved in many of the features in the above embodiments can be designed or standard parts can be used as needed. Below, in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 4 The specific parameters of each component in this embodiment are given.

[0054] The side panel 1 is made of plywood or solid wood, and has a countersunk hole on its outer side surface. Figure 10 As shown, the side plate 1 includes an outer hole 10 located on one side of the outer surface and an inner hole 11 located on one side of the inner surface. The outer hole 10 has a larger diameter and the inner hole 11 has a smaller diameter, and the two are concentrically fitted to form a stepped through hole. The outer side of the side plate 1 also has a groove 6 for accommodating the optical cable 2 and the splitter. The groove 6 has a depth of about 10-15 mm, and the groove 6 at the optical fiber splitter 5 is a circular groove 6 with a diameter of about 80 mm.

[0055] A coupler 4 is used in the connection assembly to provide an optical cable connection port and a test port 18, the coupler 4 as follows: Figure 8 and 9 As shown, both the optical cable connection port and the test port 18 are female quick connectors (common models such as LS, SC, or FC). In addition to the optical cable connection port and the test port 18, the coupler 4 also has a bracket 17 for mounting the two ports. The bracket 17 has a cylindrical base and a square boss 16 with an outer diameter larger than the cylindrical base. The bracket 17 is installed into the countersunk hole from one side of the outer hole 10 of the countersunk hole. The boss 16 abuts against the step of the countersunk hole and is fixed with self-tapping screws, thereby achieving the purpose of fixing the coupler 4 to the side plate 1.

[0056] The length of the optical cable extending from the inside to the outside of side plate 1 is approximately 0.5m-2m. The protective sleeve for the optical fiber splitter 5 is made of heat-shrink tubing. The optical cable and optical fiber splitter 5 on the outer side of side plate 1 are located in the groove 6 on side plate 1, and the optical fiber splitter 5 is fixed in the groove 6. The diameter of the hollow flexible tube 7 used to protect the optical fiber can be 0.6-2.0mm, and the material is generally a highly flexible polymer material such as TPEE, LSZH, PA, or PVC. The end of the optical fiber quick connector 9 and the optical cable patch cord used for testing that connects to the test port 18 are both male connectors, and both male connectors are evenly adapted to the female connector on the coupler 4.

[0057] The embodiments of the present invention also disclose optical cable testing methods for the optical cable assemblies of the above embodiments, specifically including:

[0058] There is no need to remove the test end and strip its outer sheath and loose tube to expose the optical fiber, nor is it necessary to wipe the grease off the surface of the optical fiber and apply a glass coloring layer to the pigtail for quick splicing.

[0059] Instead, the test can be performed by directly connecting one end of the optical cable patch cord to the test port 18 on the optical cable assembly and the other end to the test equipment, thereby obtaining relevant information about the optical cable under test. The test equipment is generally an optical time domain conversion device, which can obtain information such as fiber length or attenuation.

[0060] The entire optical path establishment process is rapid. Compared to the previous work that required several hours, the solution in this embodiment can be completed in seconds, greatly improving the work efficiency of on-site testing personnel.

[0061] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber assembly, characterized in that, include: Optical fiber cable with a test terminal; A reel, used for winding the optical cable; The reel has a connecting component, which has an optical cable connection port and a test port. The connecting component is used to connect objects at both ends of the connecting component. The test end of the optical cable is connected to the connecting component as one end of the optical cable connection port. The test port is located in the operable area of ​​the reel so that a test device can be connected during optical cable testing to form an optical path between the test device and the optical cable. The reel includes a side plate and a winding section, the optical cable is wound on the winding section to form a wire winding area, and the test port is located on one side of the side plate; The side plate is located on one side of the wire winding area as the inner side, and the other side of the side plate is the outer side; the test port is located on the outer side of the side plate, and the optical cable connection port is located on one side of the inner side of the side plate. The winding section has a skeleton for winding the optical cable on the skeleton to form the winding area. An inner cavity is formed inside the winding area, and the optical cable connection port is located on the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity. The test end of the optical cable is connected to the optical cable connection port in one of the following ways: The test end of the optical cable passes through the inside of the winding area of ​​the cable into the inner cavity and is connected to the optical cable connection port. or, The outer side of the wire winding area and the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity each have at least one through hole penetrating the side plate. The test end of the optical cable is led out from the inside of the wire winding area to the outside of the wire winding area, and passes through the through hole on the side plate corresponding to the outside of the wire winding area to the outer side of the side plate, and then passes through the through hole on the side plate corresponding to the inner cavity to the inner side of the side plate and is connected to the optical cable connection port.

2. The optical cable assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical cable connection port is located on the side plate corresponding to the outside of the wire winding area. The test end of the optical cable is led out from the inside of the wire winding area to the outside of the wire winding area and connected to the optical cable connection port.

3. The optical cable assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the side plate has a groove, and the portion of the optical cable located on the outer side of the side plate is placed in the groove.

4. The optical cable assembly according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The connection component includes a fiber optic quick connector, which is used to connect the test end of the optical cable to the test port.

5. The optical cable assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connection assembly includes a hollow flexible tube, the test end is an exposed optical fiber, and the hollow flexible tube is sleeved over the exposed optical fiber and connected to the test port.

6. The optical cable assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connection assembly includes an optical fiber splitter and a hollow flexible tube. The test end connects to the test port after the optical fiber in the test end is threaded through the optical fiber splitter into the hollow flexible tube.

7. The optical cable assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fiber optic splitter is covered with a protective sleeve at its inlet end.

8. The optical cable assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fiber optic splitter is fixed to the side plate.

9. An optical cable testing method, using the optical cable assembly described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: The test is performed by connecting one end of the optical cable patch cord to the test port on the optical cable assembly and the other end to the test equipment.

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