Prefabricated end-forming butterfly-shaped leading-in optical cable

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of optical cables, and particularly relates to a prefabricated end-forming butterfly-shaped leading-in optical cable, and a transition structure comprises a central plate which is provided with a central through hole and a side through hole; the outer sleeve wraps the periphery of the center plate, a first groove and a second groove are formed in the two sides of the center plate respectively, the first groove wraps the end, shorter than the optical fiber and the reinforcing element, of the outer sheath, the end of the optical fiber is led out from the second groove, and the end of the reinforcing element is located in the second groove; the locking piece is fixed at the end part of the reinforcing element; a clamping groove is formed in the second groove, at least two elastic pins are symmetrically arranged at the end of the connector, and the elastic pins are locally embedded into the clamping groove through deformation. Based on the prefabricated terminating butterfly-shaped introduction optical cable, when the optical cable is subjected to tension or vibration, the mechanical stress borne by the optical fiber can be effectively shared through the transition structure, so that the stress is prevented from being concentrated on the optical fiber, the probability that the optical fiber is slightly bent or fractured or the optical performance is reduced is reduced, and the signal transmission quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of optical cables, and in particular relates to a prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable. Background Art

[0002] The butterfly-shaped lead-in cable is a type of optical cable designed for optical fiber access networks and is commonly used for optical fiber access inside or outside buildings. The butterfly-shaped lead-in cable usually includes one or more optical fibers arranged in the center, as well as a strengthening element and an outer sheath; the strengthening element often includes two parallel optical fibers and is located on both sides of each optical fiber, and the material is mainly steel wire; during the use of the optical cable, the strengthening element can withstand a certain amount of mechanical pressure to prevent the optical cable from being damaged during installation.

[0003] Prefabricated terminated butterfly-type drop optical cable refers to a butterfly-type drop optical cable that has fiber optic connectors pre-installed on one or both ends of the butterfly-type drop optical cable in the factory or during the manufacturing process. Its main features and advantages include: the fiber optic connector is already installed on the optical cable before leaving the factory, which means that users do not need to perform complicated fiber optic splicing or termination during on-site installation, and only need to insert the connector into the corresponding equipment port; since on-site termination and splicing are not required, the use of prefabricated terminated optical cables can greatly reduce installation time and technical requirements, reduce engineering costs, and reduce the need for professional technicians.

[0004] The above-mentioned prefabricated butterfly-shaped optical cables are made in a factory environment, with more rigorous and controllable processes and better quality assurance, thus reducing the risk of fiber damage or poor connection that may be encountered during on-site installation. This type of optical cable is widely used in fiber-to-the-home, data centers, enterprise networks and other scenarios that require efficient and rapid deployment. Especially in fiber-to-the-home projects, the use of prefabricated terminated optical cables can speed up the access process for home users. In the production process of prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cables, the installation of the end optical fiber connector is a key step, and the outer sheath of the butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable needs to be stripped to expose the internal optical fiber and strengthening components.

[0005] The core of the optical fiber consists of a core and a cladding. The bare fiber portion of the optical fiber is inserted into the ferrule of the optical fiber connector. This portion of the optical fiber usually extends to the end face of the connector and is optically docked with other optical fibers or devices. After being inserted into place, the bare fiber is mechanically fixed, such as by clamping or snapping into the slot in the ferrule, hot melting or fixing with adhesive. This fixing step ensures that the optical fiber remains stable in the connector and will not shift due to external stress or vibration. However, this method of fixing the optical fiber relative to the connector often causes the following problems: When the optical cable is subjected to tension, the optical fiber may bear these mechanical stresses alone. This stress is concentrated on the optical fiber, which can easily lead to micro-bending, breakage or degradation of optical performance. The optical fiber itself is relatively fragile. Although it is well fixed in the ferrule, if the strengthening element and outer sheath are not effectively fixed, the optical fiber is still easily damaged by external forces such as stretching or vibration. This lack of mechanical strength may cause the optical fiber to move or loosen in the connector, affecting the signal transmission quality and even causing the optical fiber to break during long-term use. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention provides a prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable, which can effectively solve the problems in the background technology.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable comprises a butterfly-shaped optical cable and a connector at least at one end of the butterfly-shaped optical cable; the butterfly-shaped optical cable comprises an optical fiber located in the middle, and two groups of strengthening elements respectively located on both sides of the optical fiber, the strengthening element is a steel wire structure, and also comprises an outer sheath to cover the optical fiber and the strengthening element; The prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable also includes a transition structure, which is fixedly connected to the butterfly-shaped optical cable and the connector, respectively, including: A central plate, provided with a central through hole and side through holes for the optical fiber and the strengthening element to pass through respectively; An outer sleeve, covering the periphery of the central plate, and forming a first groove and a second groove on both sides of the central plate, wherein the first groove covers the end of the outer sleeve shorter than the optical fiber and the strengthening element, the end of the optical fiber is led out from the second groove, and the end of the strengthening element is located inside the second groove; A locking member, fixed to the end of the reinforcing element, to limit the reinforcing element from retracting from the second groove to the first groove; The two opposite side walls of the second groove are symmetrically provided with card slots, and at least two elastic pins are symmetrically provided at the end of the connector, and the elastic pins are partially embedded in the card slots by deformation, and at least part of the deformation is restored after embedding, so as to achieve fixation relative to the card slot; The connector blocks the open end of the second groove.

[0008] Furthermore, a positioning block is also provided at the end of the connector, and the positioning block is located between the two elastic pins and is embedded in the second groove through interference fit.

[0009] Furthermore, the transition structure further comprises an elastic block, which is sleeved outside the optical fiber and is embedded in the second groove through elastic deformation to divide the second groove into two areas; Two positioning blocks are provided and are respectively embedded in the two areas through interference fit.

[0010] Furthermore, the end edge of the positioning block is chamfered.

[0011] Furthermore, the elastic block is installed before the locking member is installed.

[0012] Furthermore, at least a partial position of the side wall of the first groove is connected to the outer sheath by heat compression.

[0013] Furthermore, the transition structure comprises: A limit strip located on one side; A limiting groove located on a side corresponding to the limiting strip; The two transition structures are butted against each other through the cooperation of the limiting strip and the limiting groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the transition structure is obtained by cutting an integrated belt structure.

[0015] Furthermore, the cutting action is performed at least after the locking member is fixed at the end of the reinforcing element.

[0016] Furthermore, the cross section of the limiting strip is convex, and the cross section of the limiting groove is configured with the same contour.

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention can achieve the following technical effects: The present invention provides a transition structure as an intermediate structure, and the connector and the butterfly optical cable are connected by being fixed relative to the transition structure. After installation, based on the fixing of the end of the reinforcing element by the locking piece and the fixing of the elastic pin by the slot, the butterfly optical cable can obtain position stability relative to the connector.

[0018] Based on the above-mentioned prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable in the present invention, when the optical cable is subjected to tension or vibration, the mechanical stress borne by the optical fiber can be effectively shared through the transition structure, thereby avoiding stress concentration on the optical fiber, reducing the probability of optical fiber micro-bending, breakage or optical performance degradation, and improving signal transmission quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connector; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure after the connector and the transition structure are connected; Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram after the butterfly optical cable and the transition structure are connected; Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a transition structure; Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable at the transition structure position; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the transition structure coordination connection of each prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the completed partial cutting of the strip structure; Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram showing that the butterfly optical cable is connected to the transition structure and the ribbon structure is cut; Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the transition structure and removed materials of each prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable being connected together; Figure numerals: 100, butterfly cable; 110, optical fiber; 120, strengthening element; 130, outer sheath; 131, recessed belt; 200, connector; 210, elastic pin; 220, positioning block; 300, transition structure; 310, center plate; 311, center through hole; 312, side through hole; 320, outer sleeve; 321, first groove; 322, second groove; 323, slot; 324, limit strip; 325, limit groove; 330, locking piece; 340, elastic block; 400, band structure; 410, cutting seam; 420, material removal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 10As shown, a prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable includes a butterfly-shaped optical cable 100 and a connector 200 located at at least one end of the butterfly-shaped optical cable 100; see Figure 2 The butterfly optical cable 100 includes an optical fiber 110 located in the middle, and two sets of strengthening elements 120 located on both sides of the optical fiber 110, wherein the strengthening element 120 is a steel wire structure, and further includes an outer sheath 130 for covering the optical fiber 110 and the strengthening element 120; the prefabricated butterfly-end introduction optical cable further includes a transition structure 300, which is fixedly connected to the butterfly optical cable 100 and the connector 200, respectively, see Figures 3 to 6 ,include: The center plate 310 is provided with a center through hole 311 and a side through hole 312 for the optical fiber 110 and the strengthening element 120 to pass through respectively; the outer sleeve 320 is covered on the periphery of the center plate 310, and a first groove 321 and a second groove 322 are formed on both sides of the center plate 310 respectively. The first groove 321 covers the end of the outer sheath 130 shorter than the optical fiber 110 and the strengthening element 120, and the end of the optical fiber 110 is led out from the second groove 322, and the end of the strengthening element 120 is located inside the second groove 322; the locking member 330 is fixed to the end of the strengthening element 120 to limit the strengthening element 120 from retracting from the second groove 322 to the first groove 321; the opposite side walls of the second groove 322 are symmetrically provided with a card slot 323, see Figure 1 At least two elastic pins 210 are symmetrically arranged at the end of the connector 200. The elastic pins 210 are partially embedded in the card slot 323 through deformation, and at least part of the deformation is restored after embedding, thereby achieving fixation relative to the card slot 323; the connector 200 blocks the open end of the second groove 322.

[0024] In the present invention, a transition structure 300 is provided as an intermediate structure, and the connector 200 and the butterfly optical cable 100 are connected by being fixed relative to the transition structure 300. In the present invention, the reinforcing element 120 using a steel wire structure has a high strength, and after being fixed in the second groove 322 by the locking member 330, the transition structure 300 and the butterfly optical cable 100 can be effectively fixed. Among them, at least the contour of the first groove 321 can be set corresponding to the contour of the butterfly optical cable 100, so that the outer sheath 130 is more tightly covered, and the transition structure 300 can obtain better covering force here by interference connection.

[0025] The connector 200 with elastic pins 210 in the present invention can be improved based on the existing connector 200. The improved part does not involve the internal structure of the connector 200, but only requires improving one end of the external structure, so as to complete the connection with the transition structure 300 while meeting the current connection standards.

[0026] After the installation is completed, based on the fixing of the locking piece 330 to the end of the reinforcing element 120 and the fixing of the elastic pin 210 by the slot 323, the butterfly cable 100 can obtain position stability relative to the connector 200; on this basis, regardless of whether the optical fiber 110 has established a connection with the connector 200, the basic positioning requirements can be met; of course, it is better for the optical fiber 110 to still establish a fixed connection with the connector 200, which can further ensure that the prefabricated terminated butterfly introduction cable has better performance in relevant tensile tests and usage scenarios.

[0027] Based on the above-mentioned prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable in the present invention, when the optical cable is subjected to tension or vibration, the transition structure 300 can effectively share the mechanical stress borne by the optical fiber 110, thereby avoiding stress concentration on the optical fiber 110, reducing the probability of micro-bending, breaking or optical performance degradation of the optical fiber 110, and improving the signal transmission quality.

[0028] In the present application, the transition structure 300 may be a plastic structure, or a rubber structure with a relatively high hardness, and its hardness should not be too soft, so as to ensure that the blocking of the locking member 330 and the blocking of the elastic pin 210 are effective. Of course, in addition to the improvements in the material, the blocking ability of the locking member 330 can be improved by adding gaskets, and a stable slot structure can be obtained by means of local inserts.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment of the above, in order to further increase the stability of the connector 200 relative to the transition structure 300 based on the cooperation between the elastic pin 210 and the slot 323, see Figure 1 The connector 200 also has a positioning block 220 at the end thereof. The positioning block 220 is located between the two elastic pins 210 and is inserted into the second groove 322 through interference fit. The positioning block 220 is tightly fitted with the side wall of the second groove 322, which ensures more accurate positioning and reduces the probability of the connector 200 shaking relative to the transition structure 300. In addition to the clamping restriction of the elastic pin 210 relative to the clamping slot 323, the connection effect can also be effectively improved by increasing the friction force.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment of the above, see Figure 4The transition structure 300 also includes an elastic block 340, which is sleeved on the outside of the optical fiber 110 and is embedded in the second groove 322 through elastic deformation to divide the second groove 322 into two areas; two positioning blocks 220 are provided, which are respectively embedded in the two areas through interference fit. By utilizing the elasticity of the elastic block 340 itself, the buffering effect of the connector 200 relative to the transition structure 300 can be achieved on the basis of fitting with the positioning block 220. The outer sheath 130 of the butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable will be symmetrically provided with two recessed bands 131 in the middle, and a raised band can be provided in the first groove 321 and the second groove 322 corresponding to the recessed band 131. The raised band located in the second groove 322 can complete the positioning of the elastic block 340 through the recessed position corresponding to the elastic block 340, and realize the auxiliary support effect on the optical fiber 110. In order to more smoothly complete the installation of the connector 200 relative to the transition structure 300, as a preferred embodiment of the above embodiment, the edge of the end of the positioning block 220 is chamfered, so as to achieve the guiding effect.

[0031] During the process of fixing and installing the locking member 330, automated production equipment may be used, or it may be done manually. Because the installation position is relatively close to the optical fiber 110, and this part of the optical fiber 110 is not protected by the outer sheath 130, there is a possibility of contact between the hard structure and the optical fiber 110. In order to avoid bending of the optical fiber 110 due to contact, as a preferred embodiment of the above embodiment, the elastic block 340 is installed before the locking member 330 is installed, thereby protecting the optical fiber 110 outside the optical fiber 110 and avoiding touching the optical fiber 110 during the installation of the locking member 330.

[0032] In this embodiment, the locking member 330 may be a metal structure and fixed to the end of the reinforcing element 120 by deformation and extrusion. For example, the metal ring is flattened by extrusion, or fixed to the end of the reinforcing element 120 by welding.

[0033] As a preferred embodiment of the above, at least a partial position of the side wall of the first groove 321 is connected to the outer sheath 130 by hot pressing; after hot pressing, a partial appearance such as stripes can be formed. During the hot pressing process, the temperature and pressure of the hot pressing need to be ensured to avoid damage to the butterfly optical cable 100.

[0034] Considering the production and packaging of the product, as a preferred embodiment of the above, the transition structure 300 includes: a limiting strip 324 located on one side; a limiting groove 325 located on the side corresponding to the limiting strip 324; the two transition structures 300 are butted together by the cooperation between the limiting strip 324 and the limiting groove 325; after butt connection, a certain degree of positioning can be achieved, so that when a plurality of prefabricated terminal butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cables are arranged, a certain degree of order can be obtained, and this order can obtain convenience in the packaging process, and can also obtain advantages in the production process, specifically: like Figures 7-10 As shown, the transition structure 300 is obtained by cutting the integrated belt structure 400, and the shape of the cutting seam 410 can be selected according to needs, see Figure 8 The belt-like structure 400 here includes a first groove 321 arranged in parallel, and a second groove 322 arranged correspondingly. The required belt-like structure 400 can be obtained by an integrated molding method, and the belt-like structure 400 can participate in a continuous production process.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment of the above, see Fig. 9 The cutting action is performed at least after the locking member 330 is fixed to the end of the reinforcing element 120. Through this optimization method, the early production continuity of different prefabricated butterfly-shaped drop optical cables can be maintained before the butterfly-shaped optical cable 100 is fixed relative to the transition structure 300, providing assistance for automated production and ensuring the orderliness of the butterfly-shaped optical cables 100 used for different prefabricated butterfly-shaped drop optical cables.

[0036] In the actual production process, the integrity of the ribbon structure 400 can be further delayed, such as cutting the ribbon structure 400 after the connector 200 is installed as a whole. The cutting here can be performed perpendicular to the length direction of the optical cable to obtain a flat cutting surface. It should be noted here that the cutting of the ribbon structure 400 can be done without generating any waste, and part of the material can be removed between the two transition structures 300. Figures 8-10 The length of the removed material 420 can be adjusted, so as to adjust the distance between two adjacent transition elements. When the cutting action is performed, the connecting section of the two adjacent transition structures 300 can be properly retained. When the connecting section has the following characteristics, it is extremely beneficial for the packaging of the product: the two transition structures 300 can be connected relatively stably, and when the prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable is independently taken, the user can separate the two transition structures 300 by applying appropriate force.

[0037] As a preferred embodiment of the above, see Figures 3-5The cross section of the limiting strip 324 is a convex shape, and the cross section of the limiting groove 325 is set with the same contour. In this way, even after the cutting is completed, the orderly and stable transfer and the stability of the relative positions of the transition structures 300 can still be guaranteed. In the packaging process, a set number of prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cables that need to be connected together can be selected for common packaging.

[0038] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, which fall within the scope of the present invention to be protected. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable, comprising a butterfly-shaped optical cable and a connector at least at one end of the butterfly-shaped optical cable; the butterfly-shaped optical cable comprises an optical fiber located in the middle, and two sets of strengthening elements respectively located on both sides of the optical fiber, the strengthening element being a steel wire structure, and further comprising an outer sheath covering the optical fiber and the strengthening element; It is characterized in that The prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable also includes a transition structure, which is fixedly connected to the butterfly-shaped optical cable and the connector, respectively, including: A central plate, provided with a central through hole and side through holes for the optical fiber and the strengthening element to pass through respectively; An outer sleeve, covering the periphery of the central plate, and forming a first groove and a second groove on both sides of the central plate, wherein the first groove covers the end of the outer sleeve shorter than the optical fiber and the strengthening element, the end of the optical fiber is led out from the second groove, and the end of the strengthening element is located inside the second groove; A locking member, fixed to the end of the reinforcing element, to limit the reinforcing element from retracting from the second groove to the first groove; The two opposite side walls of the second groove are symmetrically provided with card slots, and at least two elastic pins are symmetrically provided at the end of the connector, and the elastic pins are partially embedded in the card slots by deformation, and at least part of the deformation is restored after embedding, so as to achieve fixation relative to the card slot; The connector blocks the open end of the second groove.

2. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning block is also provided at the end of the connector. The positioning block is located between the two elastic pins and is embedded in the second groove through interference fit.

3. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transition structure further includes an elastic block, which is sleeved outside the optical fiber and embedded in the second groove through elastic deformation to divide the second groove into two areas; Two positioning blocks are provided and are respectively embedded in the two areas through interference fit.

4. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The end edge of the positioning block is chamfered.

5. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic block is installed before the locking member is installed.

6. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least a partial position of the side wall of the first groove is connected to the outer sheath by heat compression.

7. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transition structure comprises: A limit strip located on one side; A limiting groove located on a side corresponding to the limiting strip; The two transition structures are butted against each other through the cooperation of the limiting strip and the limiting groove.

8. The prefabricated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The transition structure is obtained by cutting the integrated strip structure.

9. The prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cutting action is performed at least after the locking member is fixed to the end of the reinforcing element.

10. The prefabricated terminated butterfly-shaped lead-in optical cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cross section of the limiting strip is a convex shape, and the cross section of the limiting groove is configured with the same contour.

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