Weak current protection optical cable and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The weak current protection optical cable comprises a cable core, an inner sheath and an outer sheath, the cable core is wrapped by the inner sheath, the inner sheath is wrapped by the outer sheath, the outer sheath comprises a conductive outer sheath, the inner sheath comprises a weak current layer, the weak current layer can generate an electric signal when deformed, and the electric signal can be conducted to the conductive outer sheath. The application further provides a preparation method of the optical cable. The optical cable is provided with a weak current layer, and when being bitten by rodents, the weak current layer can generate a weak current on the surface of the optical cable to stimulate the rodents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical cables, and in particular to a low-voltage protective optical cable and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Rats are resilient rodents. Their incisors are highly developed and continuously grow, and rodents typically gnaw on objects to keep their teeth sharp and of suitable length. When fiber optic cables laid outdoors or inside building ducts become targets for rodents, the cable's protective layer and even the cable core are easily damaged, leading to cable line interruptions and severely impacting the stable operation of communication services and network maintenance. Existing rodent-proof fiber optic cables mostly employ chemical rodent control methods, adding chemical components to the protective layer to repel rodents through their toxicity and odor. However, this method has drawbacks such as environmental harm, short effective period, reduced cable lifespan, and harm to the health of production workers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new types of rodent-proof fiber optic cables. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a low-voltage protective optical cable and a method for its preparation.

[0004] This application provides a low-voltage protective optical cable, including a cable core, an inner sheath, and an outer sheath. The cable core is wrapped by the inner sheath, and the inner sheath is wrapped by the outer sheath. The outer sheath includes a conductive outer sheath, and the inner sheath includes a low-voltage layer. When the low-voltage layer deforms, it generates an electrical signal, which can be conducted to the conductive outer sheath.

[0005] In some embodiments of this application, the outer sheath further includes a hardened conductive film and a metal conductive film, the metal conductive film being wrapped by the conductive outer sheath, and the conductive outer sheath being wrapped by the hardened conductive film; the inner sheath further includes an insulating layer and an electrode sheet, the insulating layer being wrapped by a weak current layer, the weak current layer being wrapped by the metal conductive film, and the electrode sheet connecting the weak current layer and the metal conductive film.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the weak current layer includes a sponge layer and a power generation layer. The power generation layer includes a friction layer and a conductor. The conductor is in close contact with one side of the friction layer. The power generation layer is embedded inside the sponge layer. The side of the friction layer that is not in close contact with the conductor is partially in close contact with the sponge layer. When the friction layer and the sponge layer deform, the conductor senses the charge change of the friction layer and outputs an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transmitted to the metal conductive film via the electrode sheet.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the power generation layer further includes a conductive layer, which is attached to one side of the friction layer that is close to the conductor, such that the conductor is located between the conductive layer and the friction layer.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the sponge layer has at least three layers, and the power generation layer embedded in the sponge layer has at least two layers. The power generation layer is spaced apart from the sponge layer. When the friction layer and the sponge layer are deformed, the conductor senses the charge change between the adjacent conductive layers and outputs an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transmitted to the metal conductive film via the electrode sheet.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the cable core includes a flexible optical fiber unit, colored wire, water-blocking powder, and wrapping tape.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the cable core further includes a non-metallic armor layer, which is located on the outermost layer of the cable core and is composed of at least one circular component.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the conductive outer sheath material is TPU doped with metal conductive particles or carbon material.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the hardened conductive film is a polyimide hardened conductive composite coating film, and the metal conductive film is a coating made by melting and coating a metal material.

[0013] This application also provides a method for preparing a low-voltage protective optical cable, comprising the following steps: pre-treating the cable core; placing the low-voltage layer in the inner sheath; extruding the cable core into the inner sheath using an extruder; and wrapping the outer sheath around the inner sheath with the outer sheath.

[0014] The optical cable provided in this application has a weak electrical layer in the inner sheath that can generate electrical signals, and the electrical signals can be transmitted to the outer sheath. When rodents gnaw on the outer sheath of the optical cable, the weak electrical layer generates electrical signals due to deformation, which are then conducted to the outer sheath and ultimately stimulate the rodents, thereby effectively preventing the rodents from further damaging the optical cable.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the hardened conductive film located on the outermost side of the outer sheath not only has a conductive function, but also has high hardness, which can further provide physical protection to prevent rodents from damaging the optical cable.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the conductive outer sheath material is TPU doped with metal conductive particles or carbon material. Since TPU has a high elastic modulus, when rodents bite the optical cable, TPU can amplify the pressure of the rodents' bites, increase the deformation of the weak electrical layer, and further promote the protective effect.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the optical cable core adopts a flexible optical fiber ribbon design, which has a compact structure, reasonable layout, and can accommodate a large number of optical fiber ribbons.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the optical cable is entirely dry, using water-blocking powder with a high expansion coefficient instead of grease and water-blocking yarn. This not only avoids the entanglement interference caused by water-blocking yarn, but also effectively avoids the environmental hazards of grease, which is in line with the environmental protection concept advocated by the state.

[0019] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a low-voltage protective optical cable according to this application is shown.

[0022] Explanation of main component symbols: Hardened conductive film-1; Conductive outer sheath-2; Metal conductive film-3; Weak current layer-4; Water-blocking powder-5; Flexible optical fiber unit-6; Colored wire-7; Wrapping tape-8; Non-metallic armor layer-9; Insulating layer-10; Electrode sheet-11. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The term "comprising" in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized in," and is inclusive of endpoints or open-ended, and does not exclude additional unstated elements or method steps. "Comprising" is a technical term used in the language of the claims, meaning that the stated element is present, but other elements may be added and still form a construction or method within the scope of the claims.

[0024] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In this application, the term "about" means including minute variations (at most + / - 10%) of the stated value.

[0025] 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.

[0026] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a low-voltage protective optical cable applicable to the field of communication cables, comprising a cable core, an inner sheath, and an outer sheath. The cable core is wrapped by the inner sheath, and the inner sheath is wrapped by the outer sheath, which includes a conductive outer sheath 2. The cable core, from the inside out, comprises flexible optical fiber units 6, wrapping tape 8, and a non-metallic armor layer 9. Specifically, the cable core has two flexible optical fiber ribbon units in its center, each composed of six groups of color wires 7. Each group of color wires 7 consists of 12 color wires 7 twisted tightly together. The two flexible optical fiber ribbon units are wrapped by the wrapping tape 8, and water-blocking powder 5 is filled between the flexible optical fiber ribbon units and the wrapping tape 8.

[0028] The outer perimeter of the strap 8 is provided with a non-metallic armor layer 9. In some embodiments, the non-metallic armor layer 9 is composed of 24 circular pieces.

[0029] The inner sheath includes a low-voltage layer 4, an insulation layer 10, and electrode plates 11. The insulation layer 10 is made of insulating PE or PVC material with a thickness of 1.5-3.0mm. It not only provides insulation but also serves as an inner protective layer for the optical cable. The insulation layer 10 is located around the outside of the non-metallic armor layer 9. 24 circular KFRP (polyester aramid) yarns are wrapped by the insulation layer 10 and thus fixed around the outside of the strap 8.

[0030] The weak current layer 4 includes a sponge layer and a power generation layer. The power generation layer includes a friction layer and a conductor. The conductor is in close contact with one side of the friction layer. The power generation layer is embedded inside the sponge layer. The side of the friction layer that is not in close contact with the conductor is in close contact with the sponge layer. One end of the electrode sheet 11 is connected to the conductor, and the other end is connected to the metal conductive film 3.

[0031] The outer protective layer includes a hardened conductive film 1, a conductive outer sheath 2, and a metal conductive film 3. The metal conductive film 3 is wrapped by the conductive outer sheath 2, and the conductive outer sheath 2 is wrapped by the hardened conductive film 1.

[0032] The friction layer and the sponge layer are made of different materials. Under external force, the friction layer and the sponge layer deform, causing them to come into contact and separate. Specifically, contact electrification occurs when the friction layer and the sponge layer come into contact, and electrostatic induction occurs when they separate. During the process of contact and separation of the friction layer and the sponge layer, the conductor senses the charge change in the friction layer, thereby outputting an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transmitted to the metal conductive film 3 via the electrode plate 11.

[0033] In some embodiments, the water-blocking powder 5 can be a water-blocking material with a high coefficient of expansion, specifically a superabsorbent polymer resin powder. The water-blocking powder 5 occupies only 15% of the flexible optical fiber ribbon unit space, freeing up more space to fill the optical fiber.

[0034] In some embodiments, the wrapping tape 8 is a water-blocking tape, which uses a longitudinal wrapping method to fix the two flexible optical fiber tapes.

[0035] In some embodiments, the non-metallic armor layer 9 circular component is made of KFRP (polyester aramid yarn).

[0036] In some embodiments, the sponge layer is made of a porous elastic material. Specifically, the material of the sponge layer can be either synthetic or natural sponge.

[0037] In some embodiments, the friction layer is made of a flexible conductive polymer material obtained by uniformly mixing carbon black, nano-conductive materials, and curable flexible polymer materials. Specifically, the nano-conductive materials can be conductive carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver nanowires, etc., and the curable flexible polymer material can be flexible polymer materials such as silicone or polydimethylsiloxane.

[0038] In some embodiments, the conductor material may be, but is not limited to, copper, tin, tin-plated copper, or copper-clad steel.

[0039] In some embodiments, the hardened conductive film 1 is a polyimide hardened conductive composite coating film, which can conduct electricity on the one hand, and the hardened layer also has the effect of preventing rodents on the other hand.

[0040] In some embodiments, the conductive outer sheath 2 is made of TPU doped with conductive metal particles or carbon materials. Using TPU with a high elastic modulus as the outer sheath material can absorb the pressure from rats biting, transferring it to the conductive layer to generate current and thus achieving a weak electric attraction effect.

[0041] In some embodiments, the metal conductive film 3 is made of metal, such as copper or aluminum.

[0042] In some embodiments, the power generation layer further includes a conductive layer that is attached to one side of the friction layer and the conductor, such that the conductor is located between the conductive layer and the friction layer.

[0043] In some embodiments, the sponge layer has three layers: a first sponge layer, a second sponge layer, and a third sponge layer. The power generation layer has two layers: a first power generation layer and a second power generation layer. The power generation layer and the sponge layer are spaced apart. Specifically, the first power generation layer is located between the first and second sponge layers, and the second power generation layer is located between the second and third sponge layers. The first sponge layer is close to the friction layer in the first power generation layer, and the second sponge layer is close to the friction layer in the second power generation layer. When the friction layer and the sponge layer deform, the conductors in the first and second power generation layers sense the charge change between the conductive layers in the first and second power generation layers, thereby outputting an electrical signal. One end of the electrode sheet 11 is connected to the conductors in the first and second power generation layers connected in parallel, and the other end is connected to the metal conductive film 3.

[0044] In some embodiments, one end of the electrode 11 is connected to a conductor in the first power generation layer, and the other end is connected to a conductor in the second power generation layer. A U-shaped structure is formed between the two ends of the electrode 11, with the waist extending through the insulating layer 10 and into the metal conductive film 3. When the friction layer and the sponge layer deform, the conductors in the first and second power generation layers sense the charge change between the conductive layers in the first and second power generation layers, thereby outputting an electrical signal. Because the electrode 11 extends into the metal conductive film 3, the electrical signal can be transmitted to the metal conductive film 3 via the conductor, thereby stimulating rodents that gnaw on the optical cable.

[0045] This application also provides a method for preparing a low-voltage protective optical cable, comprising the following steps: pre-treating the cable core; placing the low-voltage layer 4 in the inner sheath; extruding the cable core into the inner sheath using an extruder; and wrapping the outer sheath around the inner sheath. Specifically, the pre-treatment of the cable core includes: bonding the optical fibers together with adhesive to form optical fiber units wrapped with colored wire; twisting the optical fiber units using SZ stranding and then longitudinally wrapping them with water-blocking tape. In some other embodiments, the method further includes the step of embedding a non-metallic armor layer into the insulation layer using a vacuum sizing method. In some other embodiments, the method further includes the step of embedding the conductor into the power generation layer and longitudinally wrapping the low-voltage layer. In some other embodiments, the method further includes the step of wrapping the outer sheath around the inner sheath using an extrusion method.

[0046] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. Furthermore, various different embodiments of the present invention can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as they do not violate the spirit of the present invention, and should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-voltage protective optical cable, comprising a cable core, an inner sheath, and an outer sheath, wherein the cable core is wrapped by the inner sheath, and the inner sheath is wrapped by the outer sheath, characterized in that, The outer sheath includes a conductive outer sheath, and the inner sheath includes a weak current layer. The weak current layer generates an electrical signal when deformed, and this signal can be conducted to the conductive outer sheath. The outer sheath also includes a hardened conductive film and a metallic conductive film. The metallic conductive film is wrapped by the conductive outer sheath, and the conductive outer sheath is wrapped by the hardened conductive film. The inner sheath also includes an insulating layer and electrode plates. The insulating layer is wrapped by the weak current layer, and the weak current layer is wrapped by the metallic conductive film. The electrode plates connect the weak current layer and the metallic conductive film. The weak current layer includes a sponge layer and a... The electric power generation layer includes a friction layer and a conductor. The conductor is in close contact with one side of the friction layer. The electric power generation layer is embedded inside the sponge layer. The side of the friction layer that is not in close contact with the conductor is partially in close contact with the sponge layer. When the friction layer and the sponge layer deform, the conductor senses the charge change of the friction layer and outputs an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transmitted to the metal conductive film via the electrode sheet. The electric power generation layer also includes a conductive layer that is in close contact with the friction layer and the conductor, so that the conductor is located between the conductive layer and the friction layer.

2. The low-voltage protective optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sponge layer has at least three layers, and the power generation layer embedded in the sponge layer has at least two layers. The power generation layer is spaced apart from the sponge layer. When the friction layer and the sponge layer are deformed, the conductor senses the charge change between the adjacent conductive layers and outputs an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transmitted to the metal conductive film via the electrode sheet.

3. The low-voltage protective optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable core includes flexible optical fiber units, colored wires, water-blocking powder, and wrapping tape.

4. A low-voltage protective optical cable according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cable core also includes a non-metallic armor layer, which is located on the outermost layer of the cable core and is composed of at least one circular KFRP core.

5. A low-voltage protective optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive outer sheath material is TPU doped with metallic conductive particles or carbon material.

6. A low-voltage protective optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardened conductive film is a polyimide hardened conductive composite coating film, and the metal conductive film is made by melting and coating a metal material.

7. A method for preparing a low-voltage protective optical cable, used to prepare the optical cable according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: pre-treating the cable core; placing the low-voltage layer in the inner sheath; extruding the cable core into the inner sheath using an extruder; and wrapping the outer sheath around the inner sheath.

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