A low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber

Abstract

A low-loss, high-strength specialty optical fiber comprises a fiber core, a cladding disposed on the surface of the fiber core, and a coating layer covering the cladding. A base protective layer is fixedly sleeved around the circumference of the coating layer. A plurality of reinforcing protection strips uniformly distributed along the circumference of the fiber core are fixedly connected to the circumference of the base protective layer. The reinforcing protection strips are parallel to the fiber core, and a deformation space is formed between two adjacent reinforcing protection strips. A ring surrounds all the reinforcing protection strips. A plurality of buffer components are fixedly connected to the inner sidewall of the ring. The buffer components extend into the deformation space in a one-to-one correspondence. The present invention provides a low-loss, high-strength specialty optical fiber with higher strength and impact resistance, and can avoid localized micro-bending and loss.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical fibers, in particular to a low-loss and high-strength special optical fiber. Background Art

[0002] Optical fiber is the abbreviation of optical fiber, which is a fiber made of glass or plastic. It conducts light through the principle of total reflection of light, thereby realizing the function of transmitting information.

[0003] In practical applications, optical fibers struggle to transmit light losslessly. Many factors can cause light loss and attenuation within the fiber. For example, a slight local bend in the fiber can change the angle of incidence of light at the junction of the core and cladding. This can lead to a failure to meet the conditions for total internal reflection, causing some light to scatter through the cladding and coating, resulting in light loss. This loss caused by the inability to maintain total internal reflection is called reflection loss.

[0004] On the other hand, in some scenarios, because the optical fiber may frequently shake, or frequently collide with other objects, or even be squeezed by other objects, the optical fiber needs to have sufficient strength to avoid damage and breakage of the optical fiber, which may cause data transmission interruption.

[0005] In the existing technology, special optical fibers mostly focus on solving one of the problems and cannot solve the above two problems at the same time. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to address the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber, which has higher strength and impact resistance and can avoid loss caused by local micro-bending.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the specific scheme adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber comprises a fiber core, a cladding arranged on the surface of the fiber core, and a coating layer covering the cladding; a basic protective layer is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential side of the coating layer; a plurality of reinforcing protection strips uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the fiber core are fixedly connected to the circumferential side of the basic protective layer, and the reinforcing protection strips are parallel to the fiber core; a deformation space is formed between two adjacent reinforcing protection strips; all the reinforcing protection strips are surrounded by a ring; a plurality of buffer components are fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the ring; the buffer components extend into the deformation space one by one.

[0009] Preferably, a reinforcement line is passed through the reinforcement protection strip, and the reinforcement line is parallel to the fiber core.

[0010] Preferably, a plurality of groups of positioning cones are fixedly provided on the inner wall of the collar, one group of positioning cones corresponds to one reinforcing protection strip, and the positioning cones can penetrate into the reinforcing protection strip.

[0011] Preferably, the collar is formed by bending a strip-shaped main body and fixing both ends thereof in a fixed connection.

[0012] Preferably, one end of the main body is fixedly connected with a connecting part and an embedding part in sequence, the width of the main body is greater than the width of the embedding part, the width of the embedding part is greater than the width of the connecting part, and the other end of the main body is provided with a first accommodating groove and a second accommodating groove that are interconnected, the connecting part can be inserted into the first accommodating groove, and the embedding part can be inserted into the second accommodating groove.

[0013] Preferably, one end of the main body is provided with a plurality of first through holes, and the other end of the main body is provided with a plurality of second through holes.

[0014] Preferably, a distance is left between the buffer component and the base protective layer to form a buffer area.

[0015] Preferably, the buffer assembly includes a plurality of first elastic columns fixedly connected to the collar, all of the first elastic columns are distributed in a matrix, and a first gap is left between two adjacent first elastic columns.

[0016] Preferably, the buffer assembly includes a plurality of elastic tubes coaxially arranged and fixedly connected to the collar, and a second gap is left between two adjacent elastic tubes.

[0017] Preferably, the buffer assembly further comprises a second elastic column, which is disposed in the innermost elastic tube and fixedly connected to the collar.

[0018] In the special optical fiber of the present invention, a basic protective layer is provided on the coating layer. The basic protective layer is used to strengthen the structure of the optical fiber, avoid local micro-bending of the optical fiber, and further avoid loss caused by local micro-bending, thereby achieving a low-loss effect. On the basis of providing the basic protective layer, the present invention provides a plurality of reinforcing protection strips around the basic protective layer. On the one hand, the reinforcing protection strips can improve the impact resistance of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber is impacted, the reinforcing protection strips can absorb part of the impact energy and protect the optical fiber core. On the other hand, the reinforcing protection strips can also improve the torsion resistance of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber is twisted, the twisting of the reinforcing protection strips will accumulate energy. When the optical fiber is not subjected to external force, the reinforcing protection strips can be restored and drive the optical fiber core to restore, avoiding damage caused by long-term twisting of the optical fiber core and further improving the overall strength. In order to further improve the strength and impact resistance of the optical fiber, the present invention also provides a ring and a buffer assembly. The ring can be set at a position where the optical fiber needs to be bent or is easily impacted according to the actual application requirements of the optical fiber. After the ring is fixed, the buffer assembly extends into the deformation space. When the optical fiber is impacted, the collar absorbs the impact energy and deforms, driving the buffer assembly to move within the deformation space. When the buffer assembly contacts the base protective layer or the reinforcing strip, it deforms, further absorbing the impact energy and protecting the optical fiber core. Furthermore, the placement of the collar further enhances overall strength and reduces the possibility of micro-bending in the optical fiber core, thereby reducing losses. 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 following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the special optical fiber of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first embodiment of an elastic component;

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection method at both ends of the collar body;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the elastic component.

[0024] Figure markings: 1-fiber core, 2-cladding, 3-coating layer, 4-basic protective layer, 5-reinforcement protection strip, 6-reinforcement wire, 7-ring, 8-buffer assembly, 9-positioning cone, 10-deformation space, 11-buffer area, 12-first elastic column, 13-first gap, 14-connecting part, 15-embedded part, 16-first through hole, 17-second through hole, 18-elastic tube, 19-second gap, 20-second elastic column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] A low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber comprises a fiber core 1, a cladding 2 arranged on the surface of the fiber core 1, and a coating layer 3 covering the cladding 2. A basic protective layer 4 is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential side of the coating layer 3. A plurality of reinforcing protection strips 5 uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the fiber core 1 are fixedly connected to the circumferential side of the basic protective layer 4. The reinforcing protection strips 5 are parallel to the fiber core 1, and a deformation space 10 is formed between two adjacent reinforcing protection strips 5. All the reinforcing protection strips 5 are surrounded by a ring 7. A plurality of buffer components 8 are fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the ring 7. The buffer components 8 extend into the deformation space 10 one by one.

[0027] In the special optical fiber of the present invention, the core 1, cladding 2 and coating 3 are all conventional optical fiber structures, hereinafter referred to as the optical fiber core, and its specific structure and principle will not be repeated here. In addition to the optical fiber core, a basic protective layer 4 is provided on the coating layer 3. The basic protective layer 4 is used to strengthen the structure of the optical fiber, avoid local micro-bending of the optical fiber, and further avoid loss caused by local micro-bending, thereby achieving a low-loss effect. On the basis of providing the basic protective layer 4, the present invention provides a plurality of reinforcing protection strips 5 around the basic protective layer 4. On the one hand, the reinforcing protection strips 5 can improve the impact resistance of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber is impacted, the reinforcing protection strips 5 can absorb part of the impact energy and protect the optical fiber core. On the other hand, the reinforcing protection strips 5 can also improve the torsion resistance of the optical fiber. When the optical fiber is twisted, the twisting of the reinforcing protection strips 5 will accumulate energy. When the optical fiber is not subjected to external force, the reinforcing protection strips 5 can recover and drive the optical fiber core to recover, avoiding damage caused by long-term twisting of the optical fiber core and further improving the overall strength. In order to further improve the strength and impact resistance of the optical fiber, the present invention also provides a ring 7 and a buffer assembly 8. The ring 7 can be set at a position where the optical fiber needs to be bent or is easily impacted according to the actual application requirements of the optical fiber. After the ring 7 is fixed, the buffer assembly 8 extends into the deformation space 10. When the optical fiber is impacted, the ring 7 can absorb the impact energy and deform, and drive the buffer assembly 8 to move in the deformation space 10. When the buffer assembly 8 contacts the basic protective layer 4 or the reinforced protective strip 5, it can deform, thereby further absorbing the impact energy and protecting the optical fiber core. On the other hand, the position where the ring 7 is set can further improve the overall strength and reduce the possibility of slight bending of the optical fiber core, thereby reducing loss.

[0028] To further enhance the protective effect of the reinforcement strip 5 on the optical fiber core, a reinforcement wire 6 is provided through the reinforcement strip 5 and is parallel to the optical fiber core 1. The reinforcement wire 6 can be made of metal. When the optical fiber is subjected to shear force, the reinforcement wire 6 can protect the optical fiber core from all directions, preventing the optical fiber core from breaking, thereby further improving the overall strength.

[0029] In order to ensure that the buffer assembly 8 can move and deform smoothly in the deformation space 10, the capacity of the deformation space 10 needs to be greater than the volume of the buffer assembly 8. However, if the position of the ring 7 is not stable enough, the buffer assembly 8 may be offset, thereby affecting the buffering effect. To avoid this, multiple groups of positioning cones 9 are fixedly provided on the inner wall of the ring 7. One group of positioning cones 9 corresponds to one reinforcing protection strip 5, and the positioning cones 9 can penetrate into the reinforcing protection strip 5. When the ring 7 is fixed to the sides of all reinforcing protection strips 5, the positioning cones 9 can penetrate into the reinforcing protection strip 5, so that the reinforcing protection strip 5 can be used to limit the positioning cones 9, and then the ring 7 can be limited, fully ensuring the stability of the position of the ring 7, and ultimately avoiding the deviation of the buffer assembly 8 caused by the rotation of the ring 7 around the optical fiber core, ensuring that the buffer assembly 8 can always function stably. In order to further ensure that the buffer assembly 8 can move and deform smoothly in the deformation space 10, a distance is left between the buffer assembly 8 and the base protective layer 4 to form a buffer area 11.

[0030] Furthermore, to facilitate placement of the ferrule 7 at a desired location, i.e., a location where the optical fiber needs to be bent or is susceptible to impact, the ferrule 7 is formed by bending a ribbon-shaped body and then fixing both ends together. By bending the ribbon-shaped body to form the ferrule 7, the position of the ferrule 7 can be flexibly set during actual use, without requiring a fixed position during the production process. This provides greater flexibility and reduces costs.

[0031] In order to be able to use the strip-shaped main body to bend to form the ring 7, one end of the main body is fixedly connected with a connecting portion 14 and an embedding portion 15 in sequence. The width of the main body is greater than the width of the embedding portion 15, and the width of the embedding portion 15 is greater than the width of the connecting portion 14. The other end of the main body is provided with a first receiving groove and a second receiving groove that are interconnected. The connecting portion 14 can be inserted into the first receiving groove, and the embedding portion 15 can be inserted into the second receiving groove. After the main body is bent, the embedding portion 15 is inserted into the second receiving groove, and the connecting portion 14 is inserted into the first receiving groove. Because the embedding portion 15 is wider than the connecting portion 14, the embedding portion 14 cannot escape from the second receiving groove along the length direction of the main body, thereby fixing the positions of the two ends of the main body. Furthermore, the two ends of the main body can be fixed together by glue fixation, thereby forming a stable ring 7.

[0032] To enhance the connection strength between the two ends of the main body, a plurality of first through holes 16 are formed at one end of the main body, and a plurality of second through holes 17 are formed at the other end of the main body. During the glue pouring process, glue can enter the first through holes 16 and the second through holes 17. After the glue dries, it can fully securely connect the two ends of the main body together, ensuring the stability of the ring 7 structure.

[0033] Two embodiments of the buffer assembly 8 are provided below. Example 1

[0034] The buffer assembly 8 includes a plurality of first elastic columns 12 fixedly connected to the collar 7. All first elastic columns 12 are arranged in a matrix, with first gaps 13 between adjacent first elastic columns 12. When the collar 7 is impacted, the first elastic columns 12 can deform. By leaving first gaps 13 between adjacent first elastic columns 12, sufficient space is left for the first elastic columns 12 to deform. During deformation, the first elastic columns 12 absorb the energy of the impact on the collar 7, preventing the impact energy from directly acting on the optical fiber core, thereby protecting the optical fiber core through the buffer assembly 8. Example 2

[0035] The buffer assembly 8 includes multiple coaxially arranged elastic tubes 18 fixedly connected to the ferrule 7. A second gap 19 is provided between adjacent elastic tubes 18. When the ferrule 7 is impacted, the elastic tubes 18 can deform. By providing the second gap 19 between adjacent elastic tubes 18, sufficient space is left for the elastic tubes 18 to deform. During deformation, the elastic tubes 18 absorb the energy of the impact on the ferrule 7, preventing the impact energy from directly acting on the optical fiber core. Thus, the buffer assembly 8 protects the optical fiber core.

[0036] Considering that the walls of the elastic tubes 18 cannot be too thick, otherwise their deformation ability will be affected, and if the walls of all the elastic tubes 18 are relatively thin, they will easily lead to insufficient impact resistance. To avoid this, the buffer assembly 8 also includes a second elastic column 20. The second elastic column 20 is disposed in the innermost elastic tube 18 and is fixedly connected to the collar 7. The second elastic column 20 can support all the elastic tubes 18, preventing all the elastic tubes 18 from being unable to fully absorb the impact even after deformation.

[0037] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0038] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber, comprising a fiber core (1), a cladding (2) arranged on the surface of the fiber core (1), and a coating (3) covering the cladding (2), characterized in that: The coating layer (3) is fixedly sleeved with a basic protective layer (4) on the circumferential side, and a plurality of reinforcing protective strips (5) uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the fiber core (1) are fixedly connected to the circumferential side of the basic protective layer (4), and the reinforcing protective strips (5) are parallel to the fiber core (1), and a deformation space (10) is formed between two adjacent reinforcing protective strips (5), and all the reinforcing protective strips (5) are surrounded by a ring (7), and a plurality of buffer components (8) are fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the ring (7), and the buffer components (8) extend into the deformation space (10) one by one; the buffer component (8) includes a plurality of coaxially arranged elastic tubes (18) fixedly connected to the ring (7), and a second gap (19) is left between two adjacent elastic tubes (18).

2. A low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A reinforcement line (6) is passed through the reinforcement protection strip (5), and the reinforcement line (6) and the fiber core (1) are parallel to each other.

3. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of groups of positioning cones (9) are fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the collar (7), one group of positioning cones (9) corresponds to one reinforcing protection strip (5), and the positioning cones (9) can penetrate into the reinforcing protection strip (5).

4. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collar (7) is formed by bending a strip-shaped main body and fixing both ends together.

5. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of the main body is fixedly connected with a connecting portion (14) and an embedding portion (15) in sequence, the width of the main body is greater than the width of the embedding portion (15), and the width of the embedding portion (15) is greater than the width of the connecting portion (14), and the other end of the main body is provided with a first receiving groove and a second receiving groove that are connected to each other, the connecting portion (14) can be inserted into the first receiving groove, and the embedding portion (15) can be inserted into the second receiving groove.

6. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 5, characterized in that: One end of the main body is provided with a plurality of first through holes (16), and the other end of the main body is provided with a plurality of second through holes (17).

7. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A distance is left between the buffer component (8) and the base protective layer (4) to form a buffer area (11).

8. The low-loss, high-strength special optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer assembly (8) further comprises a second elastic column (20), which is arranged in the innermost elastic tube (18) and fixedly connected to the collar (7).

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