Opto-electric unit structure and opto-electric hybrid cable

Abstract

The application relates to an optoelectronic unit structure and an optoelectronic hybrid cable, which comprises the following steps: the outer surface of an optical cable unit is attached with at least two wrapping tapes, each wrapping tape comprises two layers of insulating films, at least one conductive film for transmitting electric signals is arranged between the two layers of insulating films, and the side of the conductive film away from the optical cable unit can be separated from the insulating film. The optoelectronic unit structure provided by the application has the following advantages: the two layers of insulating films play the role of insulation and isolation, the contact between the conductive films is avoided, and the transmission of electric signals is affected; in use, one side of the insulating film can be separated by tearing, the conductive film is exposed, and the effect of conduction is achieved; the other side of the insulating film plays the role of supporting the conductive film, the tensile effect of the conductive film is improved, the conductive film is protected, and compared with a power line, the wrapping tape is in a flat shape as a whole, the space occupied is smaller, the size of the optical fiber itself is hardly increased, dense wiring in a narrow space is facilitated, and the shape of the cable core is not changed, and the cable core can be repeatedly bent in any direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optoelectronic transmission technology, and in particular to an optoelectronic unit structure and an optoelectronic hybrid cable. Background Technology

[0002] A hybrid optical-electric cable is a cable that combines optical fiber and electrical cable. It integrates optical fiber and copper wire into a single cable, using optical fiber to transmit data signals and copper wire to transmit power signals. It combines the advantages of both, enabling high-speed data transmission and long-distance power supply to equipment, integrating optical fiber and copper transmission wire into one.

[0003] Hybrid fiber-optic cables are currently widely used in automotive interiors and various intelligent robots, solving both power supply and data transmission issues. However, these cables often employ a power cable structure combining power lines and optical fibers, leading to several problems in practical applications: First, most hybrid fiber-optic cables are relatively thick, typically exceeding 5mm, making them unsuitable for dense cabling in confined spaces like automobiles and intelligent robots. Second, due to the presence of power lines, most hybrid fiber-optic cable structures are flat or have irregular cores, making them unsuitable for applications requiring repeated bending in various directions, such as those inside automobiles or intelligent robots. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an optoelectronic unit structure to solve the problem that in related technologies, optoelectronic hybrid cables are large in size, mostly flat or with irregular core structures, and are not suitable for dense wiring and repeated bending in narrow spaces.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a photoelectric unit structure, which includes: An optical cable unit, wherein at least two wrapping tapes are attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit, each wrapping tape includes two layers of insulating film, and at least one conductive film for transmitting electrical signals is provided between the two layers of insulating film, and the side of the conductive film away from the optical cable unit can be separated from the insulating film.

[0006] In some embodiments, the strap is vertically attached along the outer surface of the optical cable unit; or, The wrapping tape is wrapped around the outer surface of the optical cable unit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the strap includes two spaced-apart conductive films; The insulating film located on the side near the optical cable unit has a V-shaped groove or a dotted line.

[0008] In some embodiments, the thickness of the insulating film ranges from 0.05 to 0.3 mm, and the thickness of the conductive film ranges from 0.004 to 0.02 mm.

[0009] In some embodiments, the insulating film is PP, PET, or PI.

[0010] In some embodiments, the conductive film is an aluminum film, a copper film, or a silver film.

[0011] In some embodiments, the optical cable unit includes a cable core and an optical unit disposed within the cable core.

[0012] Secondly, this application also provides a hybrid optical-electric cable, comprising: It also includes an aramid yarn braided layer and any of the above-mentioned photoelectric unit structures, wherein the photoelectric unit structure is disposed within the aramid yarn braided layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, a sheath layer is also provided outside the aramid yarn braided layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the sheath layer ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 mm.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include: This application provides an optoelectronic unit structure. Since at least two wrapping tapes are attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit, each wrapping tape includes two layers of insulating film. At least one conductive film for transmitting electrical signals is disposed between the two insulating layers, and the side of the conductive film away from the optical cable unit can be separated from the insulating film. Therefore, this optoelectronic unit structure embeds a conductive film between the two insulating layers. The conductive film itself functions as a conductor for transmitting electrical signals, while the upper and lower insulating films provide insulation and isolation, preventing contact between multiple conductive films that could affect signal transmission. Furthermore, during use, the conductive film is kept away from the optical cable unit. One side of the optical cable unit can be torn apart from the insulating film to expose the conductive film, which provides conductivity and facilitates splicing. The insulating film on the other side supports the conductive film, improving its tensile strength during splicing and protecting it from breakage without affecting its conductivity. Finally, compared to the power cable, the wrapping tape is flat, taking up less space and hardly increasing the size of the optical fiber itself. This facilitates dense cabling in confined spaces without altering the shape of the cable core, allowing for repeated bending in any direction. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the optoelectronic hybrid cable provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wrapping structure of the optoelectronic hybrid cable provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] In the diagram: 1-Optical cable unit, 10-Cable core, 11-Optical unit, 2-Wrapping tape, 20-Conductive film, 21-Insulating film, 3-Aramid yarn braided layer, 4-Sheath layer. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] This application provides an optoelectronic unit structure that can solve the problem that in related technologies, optoelectronic hybrid cables are large in size, mostly flat or with irregular core structures, and are not suitable for dense wiring and repeated bending in narrow spaces.

[0021] See Figure 1 As shown, this optoelectronic unit structure mainly includes an optical cable unit 1. At least two wrapping tapes 2 are attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1. Each wrapping tape 2 includes two insulating films 21, which are attached to each other. At least one conductive film 20 for transmitting electrical signals is disposed between the two insulating films 21. The conductive film 20 has a film-like structure and, due to its conductive function, can transmit electrical signals. The optical cable unit 1 is used to transmit optical signals. The combination of the two enables synchronous transmission of optical and electrical signals without mutual interference. Because the conductive film 20 is flat and very thin, during electrical signal transmission, the current is conducted from the surface of the conductor. For a conductor of the same volume, the conductive area of ​​the conductive film 20 is larger. Under the same current conditions, less material is required, resulting in lower costs and effectively reducing the manufacturing price of the optoelectronic unit structure.

[0022] Specifically, the side of the conductive film 20 away from the optical cable unit 1 can be separated from the insulating film 21, that is, the side of the conductive film 20 away from the optical cable unit 1 and the insulating film 21 can be torn apart. Since the conductive film 20 is made of metal and the insulating film 21 is generally made of plastic, the side of the conductive film 20 away from the optical cable unit 1 and the insulating film 21 can be pressed together without adding any additional adhesive material. When a joint is needed, the operator can simply tear off one end of the insulating film 21 on the side of the conductive film 20 away from the optical cable unit 1 to expose the inner conductive film 20. This optoelectronic unit structure embeds at least one conductive film 20 between two layers of insulating film 21. The conductive film 20 itself conducts electricity for transmitting electrical signals. The upper and lower insulating films 21 provide insulation and isolation, preventing contact between multiple conductive films 20 and thus avoiding interference with signal transmission. In use, tearing open one side of the insulating film 21 exposes the conductive film 20, facilitating connection. The insulating film 21 on the other side, while isolating the conductive film 20, also provides support, increasing the tensile strength of the conductive film 20 during wiring. This design effectively prevents the conductive film 20 from breaking under external force, thus protecting the connector or subsequent electrical signal transmission. It also prevents the conductive film 20 from being broken without affecting its conductivity. Furthermore, compared to the power line, the wrapping tape 2 has a flat shape, occupying less space and barely increasing the size of the optical fiber itself. This facilitates dense cabling in confined spaces, minimizing unnecessary space usage. Because the wrapping tape 2 is very thin, its placement on the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1 does not alter its shape, allowing it to bend repeatedly in any direction without easily being damaged. From a transmission principle perspective, it should be noted that besides the above-described scheme where there are at least two wrapping tapes 2 and at least one conductive film 20 within them, there can also be a case where there is at least one wrapping tape 2 and at least two conductive films 20 within it.

[0023] Furthermore, the wrapping tape 2 is vertically attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1; or, the wrapping tape 2 is wrapped around the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1. Specifically, when the wrapping tape 2 is placed on the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1, it can be directly wrapped vertically along the length of its outer wall, or it can be wrapped around the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1 in a spiral coiled state. It should be noted that when the wrapping tape 2 is wrapped around the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1, the wrapping tape 2 has a multi-layer structure, and the specific number of layers is related to the number of wrapping tape 2. When the wrapping tape 2 is vertically wrapped along the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1, it generally has a single-layer structure. That is, compared with wrapping around the optical cable unit 1, the vertical wrapping method will make the overall size smaller. However, when the number of wrapping tape 2 reaches a certain point, since the size of the optical cable unit 1 is also limited, even if it is wrapped vertically on the outer circumference of the optical cable unit 1, a multi-layer structure may occur.

[0024] Further, see Figure 2 As shown, the wrapping tape 2 includes two spaced-apart conductive films 20, and a V-groove or a dotted line is provided on the insulating film 21 near the optical cable unit 1. Specifically, according to the principle of electrical signal transmission, the optical cable unit 1 must include at least two wrapping tapes 2 to achieve electrical signal transmission. Therefore, at least two wrapping tapes 2 are attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit 1, and at least one conductive film 20 is provided between the two insulating films 21 of each wrapping tape 2. In this embodiment, preferably, the strap 2 includes two spaced-apart conductive films 20, that is, the two conductive films 20 are arranged parallel to each other. During the specific splicing, the two conductive films 20 are respectively connected to the corresponding conductive films 20 on the optical cable unit 1 that need to be spliced. In order to facilitate the separation of the two conductive films 20 and improve the efficiency of the splicing, a V-shaped groove or a dotted line is provided on the insulating film 21 located on the side close to the optical cable unit 1. Preferably, the V-shaped groove or dotted line is located between the two conductive films 20, and the length of the V-shaped groove or dotted line is approximately 3 to 5 cm. After tearing the insulating film 21 on the side of the conductive film 20 away from the optical cable unit 1, the remaining layer of the insulating film 21 is torn off at the V-shaped groove or dotted line position, thereby separating the two conductive films 20 from the end by a certain length, which facilitates the splicing operation, minimizes the additional auxiliary tools required during splicing, and reduces the difficulty of splicing.

[0025] Furthermore, the thickness of the insulating film 21 ranges from 0.05 to 0.3 mm, and the thickness of the conductive film 20 ranges from 0.004 to 0.02 mm. Specifically, the thicknesses of both the insulating film 21 and the conductive film 20 are related to the dimensions of the optical cable unit 1. Generally, the outer diameter of the optical cable unit 1 corresponds to a range of 1.5 to 3 mm for the aforementioned thicknesses of the insulating film 21 and the conductive film 20.

[0026] Furthermore, the insulating film 21 can be PP, PET or PI.

[0027] Furthermore, the conductive film 20 can be an aluminum film, a copper film, or a silver film. Since the conductive film 20 is more flexible than the power line, its repeated bending characteristics are better than those of traditional optoelectronic hybrid cables, and its bending resistance is superior.

[0028] Furthermore, the optical cable unit 1 mainly includes a cable core 10 and an optical unit 11 disposed within the cable core 10. Specifically, the optical unit 11 is mainly used for transmitting optical signals, and it generally contains multiple optical fibers. The number of optical fibers can be increased or decreased according to the actual application environment. Since the optical fibers are very fragile, the cable core 10 mainly plays the role of protecting the optical fibers, ensuring that they will not be damaged during use, so as to ensure the smooth transmission of optical signals.

[0029] This application also provides a hybrid optical-electric cable, which mainly includes any of the aforementioned optical-electric unit structures. In addition, the hybrid optical-electric cable also includes an aramid yarn braided layer 3. The optical-electric unit structures are disposed within the aramid yarn braided layer 3. The structural design of the external aramid yarn braided layer 3 makes the overall hybrid optical-electric cable more tensile-resistant. At the same time, the aramid yarn braided layer 3 can be fixed to the wrapping tape 2 located inside it, making the mechanical properties of the hybrid optical-electric cable better.

[0030] Furthermore, a protective sleeve layer 4 is also provided outside the aramid yarn braided layer 3. The main function of the protective sleeve layer 4 is to protect the internal structure from being easily damaged by the external environment or external forces.

[0031] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the sheath layer 4 ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 mm. Compared with traditional optical-electric hybrid cables, the overall size of this optical-electric hybrid cable is significantly smaller, making it more suitable for narrow and compact installation spaces without occupying too much space. In addition, due to its superior bending resistance and overall mechanical properties, it can fully guarantee the performance during use.

[0032] Specifically, when this optoelectronic hybrid cable is in use, first peel off 5-6cm of the sheath layer 4 at the end to expose the inner aramid yarn braided layer 3. Then, remove about 4cm of the sheath layer 3. The wrapping tape 2 inside the aramid yarn braided layer 3 will unravel due to the loss of restraint. Then, tear off about 3cm of the insulating film 21 near the outer surface of the unraveled wrapping tape 2 to separate it from the conductive film 20. Then, tear the insulating film 21 near the inner surface of the wrapping tape 2 along the V-groove or the point break line to separate the conductive film 20. Finally, twist each conductive film 20 into a cylindrical structure, ensuring that the conductive film 20 is located on the outer surface of the cylindrical structure, and the remaining insulating film 21 is located on the inner surface of the cylindrical structure. Then, the wiring process can be performed.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0035] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A photoelectric unit structure, characterized in that, It includes: Optical cable unit (1), the outer surface of the optical cable unit (1) is covered with at least two wrapping tapes (2), each wrapping tape (2) includes two insulating films (21), and at least one conductive film (20) for transmitting electrical signals is provided between the two insulating films (21), the side of the conductive film (20) away from the optical cable unit (1) can be separated from the insulating film (21); The strap (2) includes two spaced-apart conductive films (20); The insulating film (21) located on the side near the optical cable unit (1) is provided with a V-groove or a dotted line.

2. The optoelectronic unit structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The wrapping tape (2) is vertically attached to the outer surface of the optical cable unit (1); or, The wrapping tape (2) is wrapped around the outer surface of the optical cable unit (1).

3. The optoelectronic unit structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the insulating film (21) ranges from 0.05 to 0.3 mm, and the thickness of the conductive film (20) ranges from 0.004 to 0.02 mm.

4. The optoelectronic unit structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating film (21) is PP, PET or PI.

5. The optoelectronic unit structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive film (20) is any one of aluminum film, copper film or silver film.

6. The optoelectronic unit structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The optical cable unit (1) includes a cable core (10) and an optical unit (11) disposed within the cable core (10).

7. A hybrid optical-electric cable, characterized in that, It includes: It also includes an aramid yarn braided layer (3) and a photoelectric unit structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the photoelectric unit structure is disposed within the aramid yarn braided layer (3).

8. The optoelectronic hybrid cable as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The aramid yarn braided layer (3) is further covered with a sheath layer (4).

9. The optoelectronic hybrid cable as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the sheath layer (4) ranges from 1.5 to 3 mm.

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