Highly integrated ribbon optical cable

Abstract

This invention relates to a highly integrated ribbon optical cable, comprising, from the outside to the inside, an outer sheath, a water-blocking layer, an insulating layer, and an inner sheath. A connector is disposed in the middle of the inner sheath, dividing it into a first accommodating cavity and a second accommodating cavity. Each of the first and second accommodating cavities contains a first optical fiber unit. Each first optical fiber unit includes a deformable sheath, within which multiple sequentially connected optical fiber ribbons are disposed. The upper part of each optical fiber ribbon has multiple first elastic protrusions, with a first groove formed between adjacent first elastic protrusions. The lower part of each optical fiber ribbon has multiple second elastic protrusions. In two adjacent optical fiber ribbons, at least one second elastic protrusion is inserted into the first groove of the adjacent optical fiber ribbon. The deformable sheath includes multiple circumferentially arranged deformable rings, with adjacent deformable rings connected by elastic bands. The optical cable of this invention has high integration and superior overall performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical cable technology, and in particular to a highly integrated ribbon optical cable. Background Technology

[0002] As an important media medium in the field of communication, ribbon optical cable usually consists of multiple optical fiber ribbons stacked together and bonded together with photocurable resin. It has the characteristics of large capacity, easy wiring and can maintain neat wiring without special reinforcement. Ribbon optical cable is widely used in intercity trunk lines and equipment room outgoing lines.

[0003] However, existing ribbon cables have low integration levels and poor overall performance, failing to meet the requirements for high-efficiency transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of low integration level and poor overall performance of ribbon cables in the prior art.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a highly integrated ribbon optical cable, comprising an outer sheath, a water-blocking layer, an insulating layer, and an inner sheath arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. A connector is provided in the middle of the inner sheath, dividing it into a first accommodating cavity and a second accommodating cavity. A first optical fiber unit is disposed within both the first and second accommodating cavities. Each first optical fiber unit includes a deformable sheath. Multiple sequentially connected optical fiber strips are disposed inside the deformable sheath. The upper part of each optical fiber strip has multiple first elastic protrusions arranged sequentially along its length, with a first groove formed between adjacent first elastic protrusions. The lower part of each optical fiber strip has multiple second elastic protrusions arranged sequentially along its length, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the first groove. In two adjacent optical fiber strips, at least one second elastic protrusion is inserted into the first groove of the adjacent optical fiber strip. The deformable sheath has a closed ring structure, comprising multiple circumferentially arranged deformable rings connected to adjacent deformable rings by elastic bands.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the optical fiber strip are provided with a third elastic protrusion, the first elastic protrusion, the second elastic protrusion and the third elastic protrusion are all trapezoidal, and the first groove is a trapezoidal groove.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the deformation ring is provided with a chamfered notch.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the elastic band is provided with a plurality of elastic arc-shaped protrusions.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first elastic protrusion at the upper part and the second elastic protrusion at the lower part of the optical fiber strip are staggered.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connector is made of resin material, and a second optical fiber unit and a third optical fiber unit are connected inside the connector. The second optical fiber unit is a multi-core optical fiber, and the third optical fiber unit is a single-core optical fiber.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connector is provided with a concave arc surface on the side facing the first accommodating cavity, and the connector is also provided with a concave arc surface on the side facing the second accommodating cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, an arc-shaped cavity is provided on the contact surface between the connector and the inner sheath, and a plurality of elliptical cavities are provided inside the connector.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least two elliptical cavities with different major axis directions exist among the plurality of elliptical cavities.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, reinforcing ribs are provided inside both ends of the outer sheath, and multiple easy-tear grooves are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the outer sheath, the easy-tear grooves being serrated.

[0015] The above-mentioned technical solution of the invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] The ribbon optical cable described in this invention has high integration and is easy to adjust, possessing high overall performance and effectively meeting the requirements for high-efficiency transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the highly integrated ribbon optical cable of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first optical fiber unit;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the middle connector;

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the central fiber optic strip;

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the second combination of optical fiber ribbons inside the first optical fiber unit;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the third combination of fiber optic ribbons inside the first fiber optic unit;

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the instruction manual:

[0025] 1. Outer sheath; 11. Easy-tear groove;

[0026] 2. Water-blocking layer;

[0027] 3. Insulation layer;

[0028] 4. Inner sheath; 41. Connector; 411. Concave arc surface; 412. Arc-shaped cavity; 413. Elliptical cavity; 42. First receiving cavity; 43. Second receiving cavity;

[0029] 5. First optical fiber unit; 51. Deformation sheath; 511. Deformation ring; 5111. Beveled notch; 512. Elastic band; 5121. Arc-shaped protrusion; 52. Optical fiber ribbon; 521. Protective layer; 522. Reinforcing layer; 523. Optical fiber element; 524. Polypropylene resin; 525. First elastic protrusion; 526. First groove; 527. Second elastic protrusion; 528. Third elastic protrusion;

[0030] 6. Second fiber optic unit;

[0031] 7. Third fiber optic unit;

[0032] 8. Reinforcing ribs. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0034] Reference Figures 1-2 As shown, this embodiment discloses a highly integrated ribbon optical cable, including an outer sheath 1, a water-blocking layer 2, an insulation layer 3, and an inner sheath 4 arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside; the water-blocking layer 2 is arranged between the insulation layer 3 and the outer sheath 1, which can play a better waterproof role and also help to ensure the insulation effect of the insulation layer 3.

[0035] A connector 41 is provided in the middle of the inner sheath 4. The connector 41 divides the inner sheath 4 into a first accommodating cavity 42 and a second accommodating cavity 43. A first optical fiber unit 5 is provided in both the first accommodating cavity 42 and the second accommodating cavity 43. The connector 41 can isolate the two first optical fiber units 5 to avoid mutual interference, and also realize the arrangement of multiple optical fiber units.

[0036] The first optical fiber unit 5 includes a deformable sheath 51, which can deform to adapt to different size requirements. The deformable sheath 51 is provided with a plurality of sequentially connected optical fiber strips 52 to realize the stacked arrangement of the optical fiber strips 52. The upper part of each optical fiber strip 52 is provided with a plurality of first elastic protrusions 525 arranged sequentially along the length direction of the optical fiber strip 52. A first groove 526 is formed between two adjacent first elastic protrusions 525. The lower part of each optical fiber strip 52 is provided with a plurality of second elastic protrusions 527 arranged sequentially along the length direction of the optical fiber strip 52. The shape of the second elastic protrusion 527 is adapted to the shape of the first groove 526. In two adjacent optical fiber strips, at least one second elastic protrusion 527 in one optical fiber strip 52 is inserted into the first groove 526 of the adjacent optical fiber strip 52.

[0037] Understandably, a first groove 526 can only accommodate one second elastic protrusion 527, and multiple second elastic protrusions 527 cannot be accommodated in the same first groove 526 at the same time.

[0038] The deformation sheath 51 has a closed ring structure and includes multiple circumferentially arranged deformation rings 511. Adjacent deformation rings 511 are connected by an elastic band 512.

[0039] The deformation ring 511 itself can deform to absorb vibration. At the same time, through the connection of the elastic band 512, the overall inner diameter and shape of the deformation sheath 51 can be adaptively changed. All the fiber bands 52 inside the first fiber unit 5 constitute a fiber assembly. The deformation sheath 51 can not only adapt to the shape of the fiber assembly and tighten it on its outside to ensure the fixed stability of the fiber assembly, but also greatly facilitate the adjustment of fiber capacity. The number of fiber bands 52 can be increased according to actual needs to increase the fiber capacity. Increasing the number of fiber bands 52 will increase the overall size of the fiber assembly, but the deformation sheath 51 can still adapt to the size change through elastic deformation. There is no need to process sheaths of different sizes separately, which greatly reduces the production cost and also improves the adaptability of the optical cable.

[0040] In the above structure, both the first elastic protrusion 525 and the second elastic protrusion 527 are elastic, which can play a good buffering role, thereby enhancing the longitudinal compressive strength of the first optical fiber unit 5. In addition, the insertion of the first groove 526 and the second elastic protrusion 527 can effectively ensure the fixation of adjacent optical fiber strips 52, avoiding the problem of large displacement between the stacked optical fiber strips affecting the transmission stability. Furthermore, given that the second elastic protrusion 527 has the elasticity, it avoids rigid connection between adjacent optical fiber strips, which can effectively reduce rigid impact and shear force, thereby preventing damage to the optical fiber inside the optical fiber strip to the greatest extent.

[0041] Furthermore, since the upper part of the fiber optic ribbon 52 has multiple first grooves 526 and the lower part of the fiber optic ribbon 52 has multiple second elastic protrusions 527, this increases the diversity of the fiber optic ribbon 52's stacking method. By changing the insertion method of the second elastic protrusions 527 and the corresponding first grooves 526, the fiber optic ribbon 52 can be stacked in a centered or staggered manner, thereby effectively changing the shape of the fiber optic assembly formed after the fiber optic ribbon 52 is stacked, so that the fiber optic assembly presents a different shape. Figure 2 The rectangle shown Figure 5 The rocket shape shown Figure 6 The parallelograms formed by the progressive shifting shown greatly ensure the flexibility of the fiber optic ribbon 52 arrangement, improve the applicability of the optical cable, and avoid the inconvenience caused by the inability to change the existing fiber optic ribbon 52 stacking method. Through the above method, the fiber optic ribbon 52 stacking methods inside the first fiber optic unit 5 in the first accommodating cavity 42 and the second accommodating cavity 43 can be different, better meeting different usage requirements.

[0042] The aforementioned ribbon optical cable structure has a high degree of integration, enabling high-density deployment. It is structurally stable and easy to adjust, while also possessing good shock and pressure resistance, effectively improving transmission efficiency and stability, and exhibiting high overall performance.

[0043] In one embodiment, both ends of the optical fiber strip 52 are provided with a third elastic protrusion 528 to play a lateral buffering role, thereby enhancing the lateral compressive strength of the first optical fiber unit 5.

[0044] The first elastic protrusion 525, the second elastic protrusion 527, and the third elastic protrusion 528 are all trapezoidal, and the first groove 526 is a trapezoidal groove. The trapezoidal design can play a better wedge-tightening role, which can better ensure the connection reliability of adjacent optical fiber strips 52 and prevent them from loosening.

[0045] In one embodiment, the deformation ring 511 is provided with a beveled notch 5111, which can effectively increase the deformation of the deformation ring 511. In addition, the beveled opening can better decompose the transverse stress received at the notch and improve the buffering and pressure reduction effect.

[0046] In one implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the outer surface of the elastic band 512 is provided with multiple elastic arc-shaped protrusions 5121 to better disperse pressure in various directions and increase the buffering and pressure resistance effect. In addition, the arc design makes the outer surface of the elastic band 512 form a line contact when it comes into contact with the inner sheath, reducing the contact area and better protecting the optical fiber band 52.

[0047] In one implementation, such as Figure 4As shown, the first elastic protrusion 525 on the upper part and the second elastic protrusion 527 on the lower part of the optical fiber strip 52 are staggered to facilitate the insertion and fixing of adjacent optical fiber strips 52.

[0048] In one implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, connector 41 is made of resin material. Connector 41 has a second optical fiber unit 6 and a third optical fiber unit 7 connected inside. The second optical fiber unit 6 is a multi-core optical fiber and the third optical fiber unit 7 is a single-core optical fiber, so as to realize the integrated arrangement of multiple optical fiber structures and improve the comprehensive application performance of optical cable.

[0049] In one embodiment, the connector 41 has a concave arc surface 411 on the side facing the first accommodating cavity 42, and the connector 41 also has a concave arc surface 411 on the side facing the second accommodating cavity 43, so as to better disperse the impact force of the deformation ring 511 and the arc-shaped protrusion 5121 during vibration. It also makes it easier for the deformation sheath 51 to remain basically in the middle position and not easily move up and down.

[0050] In one embodiment, an arc-shaped cavity 412 is provided on the contact surface between the connector 41 and the inner sheath 4, and multiple elliptical cavities 413 are provided inside the connector to provide buffering and pressure resistance.

[0051] In one embodiment, at least two elliptical cavities 413 have different major axis directions. For example, one elliptical cavity 413 has a major axis direction in the vertical direction, and the other elliptical cavity 413 has a major axis direction in the horizontal direction, so as to better improve the deformation resistance of the connector 41.

[0052] In one embodiment, reinforcing ribs 8 are provided inside both ends of the outer sheath 1, and multiple easy-tear grooves 11 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the outer sheath 1. The easy-tear grooves 11 are serrated to facilitate the quick stripping of the outer layer of the optical cable by the operator.

[0053] In one embodiment, the fiber optic strip 52 includes a protective layer 521 and a reinforcing layer 522 arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. A plurality of fiber optic elements 523 are arranged in the reinforcing layer 522. The gap between the fiber optic elements 523 and the inner wall of the reinforcing layer 522 is filled with polypropylene resin 524 to ensure the fixed reliability of the fiber optic elements 523 and to prevent the fiber optic elements 523 from bending.

[0054] The first elastic protrusions 525 are all located on the upper part of the protective layer 521, the second elastic protrusions 527 are all located on the lower part of the protective layer 521, and the third elastic protrusions 528 are provided on both sides of the protective layer 521.

[0055] The protective layer 521 is made of silicone; the first elastic protrusion 525, the second elastic protrusion 527 and the third elastic protrusion 528 are all made of elastic materials, such as soft silicone, rubber or other materials.

[0056] The reinforcing layer 522 is made of aramid fiber, which can effectively enhance the mechanical strength of the optical fiber ribbon, and its light weight will have little impact on the overall weight of the optical cable.

[0057] In one embodiment, both the inner sheath 4 and the outer sheath 1 are made of polyethylene, flame-retardant polypropylene, or nylon.

[0058] In one embodiment, the reinforcing rib 8 is made of fiber rod as a bending reinforcement to improve the bending resistance of the ribbon optical cable.

[0059] The ribbon optical cable described above has high integration and is easy to adjust. It also has good shock and pressure resistance, enabling efficient and stable transmission and possessing high overall performance.

[0060] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A high-density ribbon cable, characterized by: The device comprises, from the outside to the inside, an outer sheath, a water-blocking layer, an insulating layer, and an inner sheath. A connector is located in the middle of the inner sheath, dividing it into a first accommodating cavity and a second accommodating cavity. Each of the first and second accommodating cavities contains a first optical fiber unit. Each first optical fiber unit includes a deformable sheath, and the deformable sheath contains multiple sequentially connected optical fiber ribbons. The upper part of each optical fiber ribbon has multiple first elastic protrusions sequentially arranged along its length, with a first groove formed between adjacent first elastic protrusions. The lower part of each fiber optic strip is provided with multiple second elastic protrusions arranged sequentially along the length of the fiber optic strip. The shape of the second elastic protrusion is adapted to the shape of the first groove. In two adjacent fiber optic strips, at least one second elastic protrusion is inserted into the first groove of the adjacent fiber optic strip. The deformation sheath has a closed ring structure and includes multiple circumferentially arranged deformation rings. Adjacent deformation rings are connected by an elastic band. The deformation rings are provided with oblique notches, and the outer surface of the elastic band is provided with multiple elastic arc-shaped protrusions. The connector has a concave arc surface on the side facing the first accommodating cavity, and the connector also has a concave arc surface on the side facing the second accommodating cavity.

2. The high-density ribbon cable of claim 1, wherein: Both ends of the optical fiber strip are provided with a third elastic protrusion. The first elastic protrusion, the second elastic protrusion and the third elastic protrusion are all trapezoidal. The first groove is a trapezoidal groove.

3. The high-density ribbon cable of claim 1, wherein: The first elastic protrusion at the top and the second elastic protrusion at the bottom of the optical fiber strip are offset.

4. The high-density ribbon cable of claim 1, wherein: The connector is made of resin material, and a second optical fiber unit and a third optical fiber unit are connected inside the connector. The second optical fiber unit is a multi-core optical fiber, and the third optical fiber unit is a single-core optical fiber.

5. The high-density ribbon cable of claim 1, wherein: An arc-shaped cavity is provided on the contact surface between the connector and the inner sheath, and multiple elliptical cavities are provided inside the connector.

6. The highly integrated ribbon optical cable according to claim 5, characterized in that, Among multiple elliptical cavities, there are at least two elliptical cavities with different major axis directions.

7. The highly integrated ribbon optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sheath has reinforcing ribs inside both ends, and the upper and lower surfaces of the outer sheath have multiple easy-tear grooves, which are serrated.

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