An eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of optical cables, and particularly relates to an eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable. It includes: a sheath, optical fibers, filler strips, and filler material; the sheath has a core cavity at its axis, and the optical fibers are disposed within the core cavity; the outer wall of the sheath has a first groove and a second groove; two of each of the first and second grooves are provided, and they are alternately distributed along the circumference of the optical cable; the first groove is filled with filler strips, and the second groove is filled with filler material, which is a water-absorbing resin. This invention, through structural improvements to the optical cable, enables it to bear its own weight while ensuring good compressive strength, facilitating manufacturing and transportation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of optical cables, and particularly relates to an eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable. Background Technology

[0002] The transition from 5G to 6G will enable a leap from the Internet of Things (IoT) to the Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT). The IIoT demands faster optical signal transmission rates in optical cables, especially in backbone optical cable lines, where capacity and weight will increase significantly. Existing optical cables, when laid over long distances, typically require the use of load-bearing lines, such as one load-bearing line per cable or multiple cables sharing a large-diameter load-bearing line. This allows the load-bearing line to support the cable's own weight; otherwise, the cable would be subjected to significant self-weight, leading to substantial bending, affecting the optical signal transmission performance of the internal fiber optic lines, and even causing cable breakage. However, the use of load-bearing lines greatly increases the production cost and complexity of optical cables.

[0003] In response, self-supporting optical cables with self-supporting capabilities were developed in the early years. These cables typically adopt an 8-shaped structure with a load-bearing wire directly installed inside. The load-bearing wire runs parallel to the optical fiber in the cable and is mainly reinforced when erected at optical cable towers, serving as a connection and load-bearing structure. This reduces the difficulty of installing optical cables. However, in reality, the transportation and manufacturing costs of such self-supporting optical cables are significantly increased. Therefore, this invention, based on considerations of both transportation and use, has developed a new type of self-supporting optical cable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems that existing optical cables generally lack self-supporting capabilities and require the use of independent load-bearing lines, or that some self-supporting cables have significant structural defects, this invention provides an eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is:

[0006] I. Improve the self-supporting capacity of optical cables;

[0007] Second, ensure that the optical cable is easy to manufacture and transport;

[0008] Third, ensure that the optical cable has a certain compressive strength.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0010] An eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable includes:

[0011] Sheath, fiber optic cable, filler strip, and filler material;

[0012] The sheath has a core cavity at its axis, and the optical fiber is disposed inside the core cavity.

[0013] The outer wall of the sheath is provided with a first groove and a second groove;

[0014] The first groove and the second groove are each provided in twos and are alternately distributed along the circumference of the optical cable. The first groove is filled with a filler strip and the second groove is filled with a filler material, which is a water-absorbing resin.

[0015] As a preferred option

[0016] The optical fiber line is a single optical fiber or an optical fiber bundle consisting of multiple optical fibers arranged in parallel.

[0017] The single optical fiber or optical fiber bundle is covered with non-woven fabric tape or bundle tube.

[0018] As a preferred option

[0019] Both the first and second grooves consist of two parts: an inner arc segment and an outer straight segment.

[0020] The arc segment is arranged circumferentially around the optical cable axis, and the straight segment is arranged along the radial direction of the optical cable.

[0021] The straight section connects to one end of the arc section and passes through the optical cable sheath to communicate with the external environment.

[0022] As a preferred option

[0023] The straight sections are evenly distributed circumferentially, and the length of the straight section of the second groove is greater than the length of the straight section of the first groove.

[0024] As a preferred option

[0025] The arc segment of the first groove has a circumferential angle ≥90° on the sheath, and the arc segment of the second groove has a circumferential angle greater than that of the arc segment of the first groove on the sheath. The arc segment of the second groove extends from the end away from its straight section to the radial inner side of the arc segment of the first groove, so that the first groove and the second groove partially overlap.

[0026] As a preferred option

[0027] The arc segment of the first groove is circumferentially set at an angle of 90 to 110° on the sheath;

[0028] The arc segment of the second groove is circumferentially set at an angle of 105 to 120° on the sheath.

[0029] As a preferred option

[0030] The water-absorbing resin is a water-absorbing factor ball and / or WSR rubber.

[0031] As a preferred option

[0032] The WSR rubber is selected from rubber materials with a water absorption volume expansion rate of ≤150%.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0034] This invention improves the structure of optical cables, enabling them to bear their own weight while ensuring good compressive strength, thus facilitating manufacturing and transportation. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the optical cable structure of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the water absorption and swelling of the water-absorbing resin used in the optical cable of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the buffering effect of the isolation bundle tube;

[0038] In the diagram: 100 sheath, 101 axial cavity, 102 first groove, 1021 first toothed protrusion, 1022 first toothed opening, 103 second groove, 200 optical fiber, 300 filler strip, 301 second toothed protrusion, 302 second toothed opening, 400 filler material, 500 isolation bundle tube, 501 arched structure, 502 reinforcing member. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be further described clearly and in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement the present invention based on these descriptions. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention described below are generally only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "thickness," "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified, and "several" means one or more.

[0041] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials used in the embodiments of the present invention are commercially available or obtainable by those skilled in the art; unless otherwise specified, all methods used in the embodiments of the present invention are methods mastered by those skilled in the art.

[0043] Example

[0044] One such Figure 1 The eco-friendly self-supporting optical cable shown is a new type of optical cable improved upon existing optical cable usage defects. Existing optical cables typically require a load-bearing line for long-distance installation; otherwise, the cable's own weight can cause significant bending, affecting the optical signal transmission performance of the internal fiber optic cables and even leading to cable breakage. However, the load-bearing line significantly increases the production cost and complexity of the optical cable. In response, self-supporting optical cables with self-supporting capabilities were developed in the past. These cables typically employ an 8-shaped structure with a load-bearing line directly inside, reducing installation difficulty. However, in practice, the transportation and manufacturing costs of such self-supporting optical cables are significantly increased. Therefore, this invention, considering both transportation and usage, has developed a new type of self-supporting optical cable, specifically including:

[0045] Sheath 100, fiber optic cable 200, filler strip 300, and filler material 400;

[0046] The sheath 100 has a core cavity 101 at its core, and the optical fiber 200 is disposed in the core cavity 101. The optical fiber 200 has a conventional structure, which can be a single optical fiber or an optical fiber bundle composed of multiple optical fibers arranged in parallel, and is simply constrained by protective non-woven fabric tape or bundle tube, either individually or as a whole.

[0047] The outer wall of the sheath 100 is provided with a first groove 102 and a second groove 103. The first groove 102 and the second groove 103 can be prepared by a special forming process of the sheath 100 or by a grooving process.

[0048] The first trench 102 and the second trench 103 are both composed of two parts: an inner arc segment and an outer straight segment. The arc segment is arranged circumferentially around the optical cable axis, and the straight segment is arranged along the radial direction of the optical cable. The straight segment is connected to one end of the arc segment and passes through the optical cable sheath 100 to communicate with the external environment.

[0049] Two of each of the first trench 102 and the second trench 103 are provided, and they are alternately distributed along the circumference of the optical cable. Their straight sections are evenly distributed circumferentially. The length of the straight section of the second trench 103 is greater than the length of the straight section of the first trench 102, meaning the depth of the arc section of the second trench 103 is greater than the depth of the arc section of the first trench 102. Furthermore, the circumferential angle of the arc section of the first trench 102 on the sheath 100 is ≥90°, and preferably between 90° and 110°. The second trench 102... The circumferential setting angle of the arc segment of the second groove 103 on the sheath 100 is greater than that of the arc segment of the first groove 102 on the sheath 100, and should preferably be 105 to 120°. The arc segment of the second groove 103 extends to the radial inner side of the arc segment of the first groove 102 away from its straight segment, so that the first groove 102 and the second groove 103 partially overlap. At the same time, it is ensured that at least the first groove 102 or the second groove 103 is provided in each radial direction of the optical cable.

[0050] The first groove 102 is filled with a filler strip 300, which is disposed in the straight section and the arc section of the first groove 102.

[0051] The filler strip 300 is made of an elastic material, such as common silicone rubber, which plays a certain supporting and shaping role, and at the same time plays a basic compressive resistance role, enabling the optical cable to have a certain compressive buffering capacity.

[0052] The second groove 103 is filled with a filler 400, which is a water-absorbing resin. It can be a common water-absorbing factor ball or other common WSR rubber (water-absorbing and swelling rubber) material. However, it is best to use a polyacrylic acid WSR rubber material or other materials with a water absorption volume expansion rate of ≤150% and a certain degree of stickiness after absorbing moisture. For example, in this embodiment, a polyacrylic acid WSR rubber material with a volume expansion rate of 120% is used for filling. The filler fills the arc section of the second groove 103 and at least partially fills and overflows into the straight section.

[0053] Through the combination of the above structures, the optical cable of this invention has good flexibility and bendability, enabling convenient transportation. It also avoids the use of high-density rigid materials, reducing the cable's weight and thus lowering transportation costs. Furthermore, the cable has a relatively low initial weight and is easy to support. On the other hand, when placed in a natural environment, the optical cable of this invention produces a good synergistic effect with the natural environment. Specifically, for example… Figure 2 As shown, the filler 400 expands after absorbing moisture and rainwater from the natural environment. Within the constrained space, namely the second groove 103, this expansion results in a structural hardening effect, creating a tendency for rigidity changes and forming the second self-supporting system of the optical cable. This system can be maintained effectively for a long time and is not prone to aging or deformation because its hardening is achieved through moisture absorption. Both the water-absorbing factor balls and the WSR rubber material have good water retention capacity and are not prone to softening due to water loss, thus maintaining the expanded and hardened state for a long time. At the same time, the continuous replenishment of water vapor and natural rainwater in nature can provide sufficient moisture to maintain the expanded and hardened state of the filler 400. This allows the hardened structure formed by the filler 400 to maintain its long-term effectiveness in conjunction with the natural environment, achieving a good self-supporting effect.

[0054] Furthermore,

[0055] The axial cavity 101 is also provided with an isolation bundle tube 500;

[0056] The isolation bundle tube 500 is radially outwardly attached to the inner wall of the core cavity 101 and covers the outer side of the optical fiber 200, which is used to further enhance the isolation effect between the sheath 100 and the optical fiber 200, and prevent the moisture absorbed in the second groove 103 from spreading and entering the core cavity 101 due to the aging of the sheath 100, thus affecting the signal transmission capability of the optical fiber 200.

[0057] The inner wall of the isolation bundle 500 is uniformly provided with inwardly arched structures 501, and the arched structures 501 are filled with reinforcing members 502, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the arched structure 501 and the reinforcing member 502 are designed to improve the axial guiding and shaping effect and the radial support and shaping effect of the overall optical cable. On the other hand, they also improve the compressive strength of the optical cable. When the optical cable is subjected to radial force, it forms a circumferential dispersion.

[0058] Furthermore,

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown in Figure a, the filling strip 300 and the arc segment of the first groove 102 are engaged in a toothed structure on both the inner and outer sides.

[0060] Specifically, the arc segment of the first groove 102 is alternately provided with a first toothed protrusion 1021 and a first toothed opening 1022. Correspondingly, the filler strip 300 is provided with a second toothed protrusion 301 and a second toothed opening 302 that cooperate with the first toothed protrusion 1021 and the first toothed opening 1022, so as to achieve mutual meshing and improve the stability of the filling strip 300 in the optical cable. At the same time, the second toothed protrusion 301 and the second toothed opening 302 on the filler strip 300 have a stronger deformation recovery ability compared with the smooth filling strip 300 structure, making it easier to recover after deformation, and at the same time enhancing its support capacity.

Claims

1. An ecological, self-supporting optical cable, characterized in that, The application relates to a cable, which comprises a sheath, a fiber line, a filling strip and a filling material. The sheath is provided with an axial cavity at the axial center of the sheath, and the fiber line is arranged in the axial cavity. The outer wall of the sheath is provided with a first groove and a second groove. The first groove and the second groove are each provided with two grooves which are alternately arranged along the circumference of the cable, the first groove is filled with the filling strip, the second groove is filled with the filling material, and the filling material is a water-absorbing resin. The first groove and the second groove are each composed of two parts, i.e. an inner circular arc segment and an outer straight segment. The circular arc segment is coaxially and circumferentially arranged around the axial center of the cable, and the straight segment is arranged along the radial direction of the cable. One end of the straight segment is connected with the circular arc segment, and the straight segment is communicated with the outside environment through the sheath of the cable. The fiber line is a single fiber or a fiber bundle composed of multiple parallel fibers.

2. An ecological type self-supporting optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The single fiber or the fiber bundle is covered by a non-woven cloth or a bundle tube. The straight segments are circumferentially and uniformly arranged, and the length of the straight segment of the second groove is greater than that of the first groove.

3. An ecological type self-supporting optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circumferential arrangement angle of the circular arc segment of the first groove on the sheath is greater than or equal to 90 degrees, the circumferential arrangement angle of the circular arc segment of the second groove on the sheath is greater than that of the circular arc segment of the first groove on the sheath, and the end of the circular arc segment of the second groove away from the straight segment is extended to the radial inner side of the circular arc segment of the first groove, so that the first groove and the second groove are partially overlapped.

4. An eco-type self-supporting optical cable according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The circumferential arrangement angle of the circular arc segment of the first groove on the sheath is 90-110 degrees.

5. An ecological type self-supporting optical cable according to claim 4, characterized in that, The circumferential arrangement angle of the circular arc segment of the second groove on the sheath is 105-120 degrees. The water-absorbing resin is a water-absorbing factor ball.

6. An ecological type self-supporting optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​

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