Optical fiber cable communication system

By using extremely thin fiber optic cable clusters and watertight optical connectors in the underwater communication system, the problems of short communication distance and high weight in long-distance underwater communication are solved, and efficient communication without electromagnetic interference is achieved.

CN120150827APending Publication Date: 2025-06-13SHANGHAI XIQI ELECTRONIC TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510331423.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-20
Publication Date
2025-06-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing underwater communication systems have problems such as short communication distance, high attenuation or high weight during long-distance underwater transmission, which is difficult to meet the real-time communication needs between underwater equipment and the mother ship or shore base.

Method used

The fiber optic cable communication system is adopted, including an extremely thin fiber optic cable group, a fiber storage barrel and a buoyant block. The extremely thin fiber optic cable group is installed in the fiber storage barrel in a conical shape or spindle shape. The dry end is connected to the water equipment, and the wet end is connected to the underwater equipment through a watertight optical connector to achieve long-distance real-time communication.

Benefits of technology

It realizes that when the underwater equipment is in the order of hundreds, thousands or even dozens of kilometers between the underwater equipment, the data of the underwater equipment is fed back to the water equipment in real time, solving the problems of short communication distance and high weight in traditional communication methods, while avoiding electromagnetic interference.

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Abstract

The invention relates to an optical fiber cable communication system, and relates to the technical field of underwater communication. The optical fiber cable communication system comprises a communication mechanism, a watertight optical connector, an overwater device and an underwater device. The communication mechanism comprises an ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil, a fiber storage cylinder and a buoyancy block, the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is integrally installed in the fiber storage cylinder in a conical or spindle shape, the two ends of an ultra-thin optical fiber cable of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil extend out of the fiber storage cylinder and are the dry end and the wet end respectively, the dry end is connected with the water equipment, and the wet end is connected with the water equipment. The wet end is connected with underwater equipment through a watertight optical connector, and the maximum rated pay-off speed of the superfine optical fiber cable coil is 300m / min; the fiber storage cylinder is fixed to the water equipment or the underwater equipment, and the buoyancy block is installed on the fiber storage cylinder so that the communication mechanism can be in a suspended state. According to the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the invention, the technical problems of short communication distance, high attenuation or high weight of a communication device between underwater equipment and a mother ship or a shore base in the prior art are solved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of underwater communication technologies, and more particularly, to an optical fiber cable communication system. Background Art

[0002] With the increasingly frequent and urgent exploration of the ocean by people, underwater devices such as underwater robots and submersibles have been widely used as important tools.

[0003] Due to the complex and changeable application environment of underwater devices, it is very important for underwater devices to maintain communication with the mother ship or shore base. Currently, the communication methods between underwater devices and the mother ship or shore base include wireless signal communication and electrical signal communication. Among them, wireless signal communication is affected by the characteristics of the water medium and can only be maintained within a short distance in water, and there is a problem that it is not suitable for long-distance communication. Although electrical signal communication can achieve long-distance communication, the transmission medium of electrical signals has problems of high attenuation and high weight, and is not suitable for underwater devices that are equipped with batteries and do not require additional power supply cables. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of this application is to provide an optical fiber cable communication system to alleviate the technical problems of short communication distance, high attenuation, or high weight in the communication device between underwater devices and the mother ship or shore base existing in the prior art.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows: The optical fiber cable communication system provided by the present invention includes a communication mechanism, a watertight optical connector, an above-water device, and an underwater device; The communication mechanism includes an ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil, a fiber storage cylinder, and a buoyancy block. The ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is installed in the fiber storage cylinder as a whole in a conical or spindle shape. Both ends of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil extend out of the fiber storage cylinder and are respectively a dry end and a wet end. The dry end is connected to the above-water device, and the wet end is connected to the underwater device through the watertight optical connector. The maximum rated unwinding speed of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is 300 m / min; The fiber storage cylinder is fixed to the above-water device or the underwater device, and the buoyancy block is installed on the fiber storage cylinder to make the communication mechanism in a suspended state.

[0006] Furthermore, the fiber storage cylinder is provided with an outlet end. When the fiber storage cylinder is installed on the above-water device, the wet end extends out from the outlet end; when the fiber storage cylinder is installed on the underwater device, the dry end extends out from the outlet end; The middle of the outlet end is recessed in the direction close to the center of the fiber storage cylinder.

[0007] Furthermore, a cutting device is installed at the outgoing line end, and the cutting device is used to cut off the ultra-thin optical fiber cable.

[0008] Furthermore, the ultra-thin optical fiber cables are bonded into an ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil by silicone gel, and the outgoing line tension of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is set to 1N - 3N.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable is set to 0.4mm - 0.45mm, and the tensile strength is greater than 100N.

[0010] Furthermore, taking the length of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable as L, the overall attenuation of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable is less than or equal to [(0.22dB / km × L + 0.5dB) @ 1550nm].

[0011] Furthermore, the ultra-thin optical fiber cable includes a core, a cladding, a coating layer, and a strengthening layer. The cladding surrounds the outer periphery of the core, the coating layer surrounds the outer periphery of the cladding, and the strengthening layer surrounds the outer periphery of the coating layer; The core is made of bend-insensitive optical fiber.

[0012] Furthermore, the strengthening layer is made of liquid crystal polymer, and the coating layer is made of high-hardness resin material.

[0013] Furthermore, the waterproof optical connector includes a pin, a thimble, a first mounting component, and a second mounting component; The pin is installed in the first mounting component, and the wet end is connected to the pin; The thimble is installed in the second mounting component, and the second mounting component is connected to the underwater device; The first mounting component and the second mounting component are in plug-in fit, and the pin abuts against the thimble.

[0014] Furthermore, the first mounting component includes a housing, a front insulating sleeve, a lining sleeve, a rear insulating sleeve, a snap ring, an outer lining sleeve, and a mounting sleeve. The front insulating sleeve is installed in the housing. One end of the outer lining sleeve extends into the front insulating sleeve and is connected to the front insulating sleeve, and the other end extends out of the housing and sleeves the mounting sleeve; The lining sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve are both installed in the outer lining sleeve, and both ends of the lining sleeve abut against the front insulating sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve respectively; The snap ring is installed in the rear insulating sleeve, and the pin is connected to the snap ring. A first sealing ring and a second sealing ring are installed between the pin and the mounting sleeve, and the second sealing ring sleeves the first sealing ring; The second mounting assembly includes a housing, a nut, a buckle and a retaining ring. The retaining ring and the nut are installed in the housing, and the retaining ring abuts against the nut. The buckle is located within the retaining ring and is connected to the nut; One end of the thimble abuts against the buckle, the other end extends out of the retaining ring, and a spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the buckle; A third sealing ring is installed between the housing and the retaining ring.

[0015] Based on the above technical solutions, the technical effects that the present invention can achieve are analyzed as follows: The fiber optic cable communication system provided by the present invention includes a communication mechanism, a watertight optical connector, an above-water device and an underwater device; the communication mechanism includes an ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil, a fiber storage cylinder and a buoyancy block. The ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil is installed in the fiber storage cylinder as a whole in a conical or spindle shape, and both ends of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil extend out of the fiber storage cylinder, which are respectively a dry end and a wet end. The dry end is connected to the above-water device, and the wet end is connected to the underwater device through the watertight optical connector. The maximum rated pay-out speed of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil is 300 m / min; the fiber storage cylinder is fixed to the above-water device or the underwater device, and the buoyancy block is installed on the fiber storage cylinder to make the communication mechanism in a suspended state. The main function of this fiber optic cable communication system is to connect the shore base, the moored ship with the underwater detection, communication or operation system; since water has a strong absorption of electromagnetic waves, if wireless communication is adopted, its communication distance will be limited within a very short range and cannot achieve the purpose of long-distance underwater transmission. And this communication system is mainly applied to underwater dynamic devices or above-water dynamic devices. When the relative distance between the underwater device and the above-water device reaches the order of hundreds of meters, thousands of meters or even dozens of kilometers, it can still feedback the data of the underwater device to the above-water device in real time.

[0016] A buoyancy block is carried in the fiber storage cylinder to make the density of the communication mechanism equivalent to that of water, or to adjust the weight of the communication mechanism in water to 0, and hardly impose an additional burden on the power system of the underwater device. Among them, the fiber storage cylinder is loaded on the moving end. If the underwater device moves, the fiber storage cylinder is loaded on the underwater device; if the above-water device moves, such as the anchor ship moves, the fiber storage cylinder is loaded on the above-water device. The wet end of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable is connected to the underwater device through the watertight optical connector to prevent water from entering the interior of the robot or communication device.

[0017] For the ultra-thin fiber optic cable used in this communication system, through the fiber optic voltage-stabilized thin-wall extrusion technology, the extrusion outer diameter is reduced, so that its outer diameter is much lower than the communication cables of the current underwater communication systems on the market. It can hardly affect the movement attitude of the underwater device while maintaining real-time communication.

[0018] In this communication system, the overall shape of the extremely thin optical fiber cable coil is conical or spindle-shaped, which can greatly reduce the volume of the cable wound by the traditional wire storage disk method. Moreover, the cable coil can also pay out the cable through the inner wire-out method, with a faster pay-out speed, higher reliability, and can also reduce the optical fiber slip rings required during the rotation of the wire storage disk, reducing costs and improving product performance.

[0019] This communication system has the characteristics of being easy to use, having no electromagnetic interference, large transmission capacity, low price, and high pay-out rate, and can well meet the communication needs of underwater systems such as underwater robots, diving bells, and ROVs. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other relevant drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the fiber storage cylinder in the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cutting device in the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the extremely thin optical fiber cable in the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the watertight optical connector in the optical fiber cable communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Icon: 1 - Water equipment; 2 - Underwater equipment; 3 - Watertight optical connector; 4 - Extremely thin optical fiber cable; 41 - Core; 42 - Cladding; 43 - Coating layer; 44 - Reinforcing layer; 5 - Fiber storage cylinder; 51 - Wire-out end; 52 - Cutting device; 521 - Tool; 522 - Crank connecting rod mechanism; 523 - Push rod; 524 - Hydraulic cylinder; 525 - Hydraulic pump; 526 - Control unit; 527 - Sensor; 6 - Buoyancy block; 31 - Plug pin; 32 - Thumb pin; 331 - Outer shell; 332 - Front insulating sleeve; 333 - Inner lining sleeve; 334 - Rear insulating sleeve; 335 - Snap ring; 336 - Outer lining sleeve; 337 - Mounting sleeve; 338 - Protective sleeve; 339 - First sealing ring; 341 - Housing; 342 - Nut; 343 - Snap fastener; 344 - Retaining ring. Detailed Embodiments

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of this application. The components of the embodiments of this application usually described and illustrated in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "inner" and "outer" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this application is usually placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive distinction and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0026] Currently, the diving depths of most underwater robots and submersibles in the domestic and international markets are in the hundreds of meters. Due to the characteristics of the water medium and the current development, the transmission of wireless signals in water can only be maintained within a short distance. Therefore, for some operations that require long-distance communication, a medium capable of transmitting signals is needed. Currently, the general medium carriers are optical signal or electrical signal transmission. Since the attenuation of the transmission medium of electrical signals is dozens or even hundreds of times that of the optical signal transmission medium of the same volume, and its weight is also dozens of times that of the optical communication medium, optical signal transmission has the characteristics of low attenuation and light weight for long-distance transmission. Therefore, for some underwater active devices that are equipped with a battery and do not require an additional power supply cable, only a micro-system is needed to transmit the signal back to the mother ship or shore base. The smaller the volume of this system and the lighter it is in water, the wider its applicability will be.

[0027] In view of this, see Figures 1 to 5, the fiber optic cable communication system provided by the embodiments of the present invention includes a communication mechanism, a watertight optical connector 3, an above-water device 1, and a submersible device 2; the communication mechanism includes an ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil, a fiber storage cylinder 5, and a buoyancy block 6. The ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil is installed in the fiber storage cylinder 5 as a whole in a conical or spindle shape, and both ends of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil extend out of the fiber storage cylinder 5 and are respectively a dry end and a wet end. The dry end is connected to the above-water device 1, and the wet end is connected to the submersible device 2 through the watertight optical connector 3. The maximum rated pay-out speed of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil is 300 m / min; the fiber storage cylinder 5 is fixed to the above-water device 1 or the submersible device 2, and the buoyancy block 6 is installed on the fiber storage cylinder 5 to make the communication mechanism in a suspended state.

[0028] Specifically, based on the bend-resistant optical fiber, the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil is made by processing it into an ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 with a certain tensile strength, and then winding it into a coil through a precision winding device and a soft glue with a certain adhesive force. The ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil can wind hundreds of meters to dozens of kilometers of ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4. The ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil pays out through the outlet connected to the fiber storage cylinder 5, which can meet the usage requirements of all underwater moving devices. The weight of the fiber storage cylinder 5 and the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil in water is zero through the counterweight of the buoyancy block 6. The fiber storage cylinder 5 is fixed to one side of the submersible device 2 or the above-water device 1 by riveting, welding, or bonding. One end of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 at the anchor boat or shore base is connected to a common FC / SC / ST / LC connector or a watertight optical connector 3, and the other side connects the submersible device 2 to the anchor boat or shore base through the watertight optical connector 3 to complete the construction of a complete communication link.

[0029] See Figure 1 , the main function of this fiber optic cable communication system is to connect the shore base, the moored boat, and the underwater detection, communication, or operation system; since water has a strong absorption of electromagnetic waves, if wireless communication is adopted, its communication distance will be limited to a very short range and cannot achieve the purpose of long-distance underwater transmission. And this communication system is mainly applied to underwater dynamic devices or above-water dynamic devices. When the relative distance between the submersible device 2 and the above-water device 1 reaches the order of hundreds of meters, thousands of meters, or even dozens of kilometers, the data of the submersible device 2 can still be fed back to the above-water device 1 in real time.

[0030] The buoyancy block 6 is carried in the fiber storage cylinder 5 to make the density of the communication mechanism equivalent to that of water, or to adjust the weight of the communication mechanism in water to 0, hardly imposing an additional burden on the power system of the submersible device 2. Among them, the fiber storage cylinder 5 is loaded on the moving end. If the submersible device 2 moves, the fiber storage cylinder 5 is loaded on the submersible device 2; if the above-water device 1 moves, such as the anchor boat moves, the fiber storage cylinder 5 is loaded on the above-water device 1. The wet end of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 is connected to the submersible device 2 through the watertight optical connector 3 to prevent water from entering the internal part of the robot or communication device.

[0031] The ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 used in this communication system reduces the extrusion outer diameter through the stable voltage thin-wall extrusion technology of the optical fiber, making its outer diameter much lower than that of the communication cables of underwater communication systems on the current market. It can maintain real-time communication while having almost no impact on the motion posture of the underwater device 2.

[0032] See Figure 2 , the overall shape of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable coil in this communication system is conical or spindle-shaped, which can greatly reduce the volume of the cable wound in the traditional wire storage disc method. And the cable coil can also pay out the cable through the middle-outlet method, which is different from the traditional outer-roller pay-out method. The middle-outlet method means that the ultra-thin optical fibers are bonded together with silicone grease glue, leaving a certain space inside the middle. When paying out the cable, the cable coil remains stationary, and the optical fibers are directly released from the side of the inner hole. The glue can provide a bonding force of about 3 - 5N to the cable coil, which ensures that the cable coil will not pay out the cable without limit during use. Once the moving device stops, the pay-out behavior will also stop immediately. This pay-out speed is faster, the reliability is higher, and it can also reduce the fiber optic slip rings required during the rotation of the wire storage disc, reduce costs, and improve product performance.

[0033] The watertight optical connector 3 in this communication system can reach a water pressure of more than 100 MPa, exceeding most of the connectors on the market. It can achieve real-time transmission for equipment detection in the full ocean depth range.

[0034] This communication system has the characteristics of being easy to use, having no electromagnetic interference, large transmission capacity, low price, and high pay-out rate, and can well meet the communication needs of underwater systems such as underwater robots, diving bells, and ROVs.

[0035] In an alternative solution of the embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 3 , the fiber storage cylinder 5 is provided with an outlet end 51. When the fiber storage cylinder 5 is installed on the water-based device 1, the wet end extends out from the outlet end 51; when the fiber storage cylinder 5 is installed on the underwater device 2, the dry end extends out from the outlet end 51; the middle of the outlet end 51 is recessed towards the center of the fiber storage cylinder 5.

[0036] Specifically, the cross-section of the side wall of the outlet end 51 of the fiber storage cylinder 5 is in an arc shape with the middle recessed towards the middle of the fiber storage cylinder 5.

[0037] The outlet end 51 of the fiber storage cylinder 5 adopts a circular arc-shaped pay-out method, paying out from the middle, and the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 can be evenly and smoothly released within its 360° range, without affecting the pay-out behavior of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4; moreover, a sensor or a counter is installed at the outlet end 51 or inside of the fiber storage cylinder 5 to measure the pay-out length and prevent the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 from being released from the fiber storage cylinder 5 without limit.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a cutting device 52 is installed at the outlet end 51, and the cutting device 52 is used to cut the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4.

[0039] Specifically, referring to Figure 2 , the cutting device 52 includes a cutter 521 installed at the end of the outlet end 51 and arranged oppositely, and the cutter 521 is driven by a hydraulic driving member; when the driving member drives the cutter to move towards each other, the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is cut. Further, referring to Figure 3 , after reaching the pay-off distance, the control unit 526 receives the signal from the sensor 527 and issues an instruction to the hydraulic system. The hydraulic cylinder 524, driven by the hydraulic pump 525, applies force to the crank-link mechanism 522 through the push rod 523, realizing the conversion of the reciprocating motion of the hydraulic cylinder 524 into the rotational motion of the cutter 521 around the hinge point to cut the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4.

[0040] The outlet end 51 of the fiber storage cylinder 5 is equipped with a cutting device 52, which can automatically cut the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 after the underwater optical fiber cable communication system finishes working, realizing a free return.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is bonded into an ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil by silicone gel, and the pay-off tension of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is set to 1N - 3N.

[0042] Specifically, the bend-insensitive optical fiber is made into the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 by extrusion or strengthening. The ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is wound into a coil required for actual use, and the coils are bonded together by silicone gel to make it have a certain pay-off tension. The ultra-thin optical fiber cable coil is placed in the fiber storage cylinder 5, and several meters of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 are extended from both ends to prepare for making connectors for the dry end and the wet end. By calculating the weight and volume of the fiber storage cylinder 5, corresponding buoyancy blocks 6 are equipped to configure the weight of the fiber storage cylinder 5 in water to zero.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the outer diameter of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is set to 0.4mm - 0.45mm, and the tensile strength is greater than 100N.

[0044] Specifically, the outer diameter of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is set to 0.41mm, 0.41mm or 0.45mm, etc.

[0045] The ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is strengthened by using a special composite material, so that its outer diameter is not greater than 0.45mm and the tensile strength is greater than 100N.

[0046] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, taking the length of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 as L, the overall attenuation of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 is less than or equal to [(0.22 dB / km × L + 0.5 dB) @ 1550nm], and this formula represents the overall loss of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable 4 at a wavelength of 1550nm.

[0047] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 4 , the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 includes a core 41, a cladding 42, a coating layer 43 and a strengthening layer 44. The cladding 42 surrounds the outer periphery of the core 41, the coating layer 43 surrounds the outer periphery of the cladding 42, and the strengthening layer 44 surrounds the outer periphery of the coating layer 43; the core 41 is made of bend-insensitive optical fiber.

[0048] Specifically, the strengthening layer 44 is made of liquid crystal polymer, and the coating layer 43 is made of high-hardness resin material.

[0049] The core 41 is made of bend-insensitive optical fiber; the diameter of the cladding 42 is (80±1) μm, and the diameter of the coating layer 43 is (200±5) μm. The smaller the volume of the coil formed by the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4, the better. For example, for an ultra-thin fiber optic cable of about 3 km, the volume of the coil formed by it does not exceed a volume of 100 mm square; its shape can be conical or spindle-shaped to achieve internal wire outlet. The processing technology of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 has stronger tensile strength and a smaller bending radius compared to the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 with the same outer diameter on the market. Its bending radius can reach 5 mm and it has excellent flexibility; the water pressure resistance of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 can reach the full ocean depth. The continuous length of the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 can be customized according to user requirements or should at least reach a continuous production length of more than 20 km.

[0050] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 5 , the watertight optical connector 3 includes a plug pin 31, a thimble 32, a first mounting component and a second mounting component; the plug pin 31 is mounted on the first mounting component, and the wet end is connected to the plug pin 31; the thimble 32 is mounted on the second mounting component, and the second mounting component is connected to the underwater device 2; the first mounting component and the second mounting component are in plug-in fit, and the plug pin 31 abuts against the thimble 32.

[0051] Specifically, the water pressure resistance of the watertight optical connector 3 can reach the range of the full ocean depth.

[0052] The watertight optical connector 3 is used to achieve a sealed connection between the ultra-thin fiber optic cable 4 and the underwater device 2, preventing water from entering the underwater device 2 and the like.

[0053] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 5, the first mounting assembly includes a housing 331, a front insulating sleeve 332, a lining sleeve 333, a rear insulating sleeve 334, a circlip 335, an outer lining sleeve 336 and a mounting sleeve 337. The front insulating sleeve 332 is installed inside the housing 331. One end of the outer lining sleeve 336 extends into the front insulating sleeve 332 and is connected to the front insulating sleeve 332, and the other end extends out of the housing 331 and sleeves the mounting sleeve 337; the lining sleeve 333 and the rear insulating sleeve 334 are both installed inside the outer lining sleeve 336, and both ends of the lining sleeve 333 are respectively abutted against the front insulating sleeve 332 and the rear insulating sleeve 334; the circlip 335 is installed inside the rear insulating sleeve 334, and the pin 31 is connected to the circlip 335. A first sealing ring 339 and a second sealing ring are installed between the pin 31 and the mounting sleeve 337, and the second sealing ring sleeves the first sealing ring 339; the second mounting assembly includes a housing 341, a nut 342, a buckle 343 and a retaining ring 344. The retaining ring 344 and the nut 342 are installed inside the housing 341, and the retaining ring 344 abuts against the nut 342. The buckle 343 is located inside the retaining ring 344 and is connected to the nut 342; one end of the thimble 32 abuts against the buckle 343, and the other end extends out of the retaining ring 344, and a spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the buckle 343; a third sealing ring is installed between the housing 341 and the retaining ring 344.

[0054] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first mounting assembly and the second mounting assembly are integrally made of titanium alloy material to improve strength. In addition, the first mounting assembly further includes a protective sleeve 338, and the protective sleeve 338 sleeves one end of the mounting sleeve 337 away from the housing 331.

[0055] The settings of the first sealing ring 339, the second sealing ring and the third sealing ring improve the sealing performance of the water-tight optical fiber connector 3.

[0056] The bend-insensitive optical fiber is made into an extremely thin optical fiber cable 4 by extrusion or enhancement. The extremely thin optical fiber cable 4 is wound into a coil required for actual use. The coils are bonded together by silicone gel to make it have a certain wire release tension. The extremely thin optical fiber cable coils are placed in the fiber storage cylinder 5, and several meters of the extremely thin optical fiber cable 4 are thrown out at both ends for making connectors at the dry end and the wet end. By calculating the weight and volume of the fiber storage cylinder 5, a corresponding buoyancy block 6 is equipped to configure the weight of the fiber storage cylinder 5 in water to be zero. A cable cutting device is equipped at the wire outlet of the fiber storage cylinder 5, which can automatically cut off the extremely thin optical fiber cable 4 after the underwater optical fiber cable communication system finishes working, realizing a free return.

[0057] The advantages of the optical fiber cable communication system are described as follows: The optical fiber cable communication system is small in volume. By counterweight, it can have almost no weight in water and will not bring an extra burden to underwater moving equipment. The outer diameter of a 5-km optical fiber coil can be achieved with a fiber capacity of 10 cm * 10 cm, and no additional wire release system is required. The coil itself can realize passive automatic wire outlet.

[0058] The fiber optic cable communication system has a low usage cost and high economic benefits. An extremely thin fiber optic cable coil can be reused multiple times and can achieve transmission at any distance within its length range. Moreover, the system is small in size, has low operating requirements, and does not require additional occupation of the mother ship's deck position or lifting weight.

[0059] The fiber optic cable communication system can ensure the mother ship's control of underwater moving equipment in real time, avoid danger in time, reduce the risk of underwater moving equipment. After the equipment finishes the task, it can choose to return to the mother ship with the pigtail or directly cut off the optical fiber and safely return to the water surface.

[0060] The extremely thin fiber optic cable coil of the fiber optic cable communication system is wound into a spindle shape through a constant tension precision winding device with variable pitch settings. The spindle-shaped coil has the characteristics of internal wire outlet, reduced scraping during wire unwinding, and high coil stability, and is suitable for communication connections within the full ocean depth range.

[0061] The fiber optic cable communication system can be used within the full ocean depth range. The stable structure of the extremely thin fiber optic cable will not cause additional loss in a strong water pressure environment, and its excellent bending performance will not have additional losses due to the fiber optic cable being wound into a coil. Moreover, the metal watertight fiber optic head can be sealed underwater and will not allow water to penetrate into the optical fiber due to excessive water pressure.

[0062] The fiber optic cable communication system is convenient to use, highly versatile, easy to promote and use, and can quickly expand it to underwater equipment 2, underwater robots, and diving bells with different water depths, different functions, different models, and different environments.

[0063] This fiber optic cable communication system uses a miniaturized watertight optical connector 3. This watertight optical connector 3 adopts a precision guiding and positioning structure (guiding column and chamfer structure), and combines a self-floating structure (one end of the pin 31 contacts the outer shell 331, the other end contacts the circlip 335, and at the same time there is a small gap between it and the outer shell 331 in the radial direction, and the head is designed with a guiding angle, so that during the mating process, it has a certain automatic axial and radial floating ability under the action of the guiding angle) to achieve fine adjustment of the angle offset and meet the requirements of high-precision alignment to ensure the low-loss requirement when the optical fiber signals are docked; at each sealing link, a multi-form series sealing structure combining mechanical shaft seal, rubber seal, and vulcanization seal is adopted to meet the large water pressure requirements of the underwater operation environment; at the same time, according to its tensile force requirements, a variable-diameter potting bearing structure is designed at the tail of the watertight optical connector 3 (the potting bearing structure is similar to a spindle-shaped variable-diameter pattern, with small ends and a large middle, and multiple ring grooves are designed in the middle to increase the backward dragging ability after potting, and at the same time strengthen the impact ability of the water pressure forward impact after potting), to meet the requirements of the required force value for towing and is suitable for communication within the full ocean depth.

[0064] It should be noted that, without conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0065] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application and are not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber cable communication system, characterized in that: include: Communication mechanism, watertight optical connector (3), above-water equipment (1) and underwater equipment (2); The communication mechanism comprises an ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel, a fiber storage cylinder (5) and a buoyancy block (6); the ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel is installed in the fiber storage cylinder (5) in a cone or spindle shape as a whole; both ends of an ultra-fine optical fiber cable (4) of the ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel extend out of the fiber storage cylinder (5) and are respectively a dry end and a wet end; the dry end is connected to the above-water equipment (1), and the wet end is connected to the underwater equipment (2) via the watertight optical connector (3); the maximum rated speed of the ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel is 300 m / min; The fiber storage cylinder (5) is fixed to the above-water equipment (1) or the underwater equipment (2), and the buoyancy block (6) is installed on the fiber storage cylinder (5) so that the communication mechanism is in a suspended state.

2. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fiber storage tube (5) is provided with an outlet end (51); when the fiber storage tube (5) is installed on the above-water equipment (1), the wet end extends from the outlet end (51); when the fiber storage tube (5) is installed on the underwater equipment (2), the dry end extends from the outlet end (51); The middle part of the outlet end (51) is recessed in a direction close to the center of the fiber storage tube (5).

3. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outlet end (51) is provided with a cutting device (52), and the cutting device (52) is used to cut the very thin optical fiber cable (4).

4. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultra-fine optical fiber cable (4) is bonded into the ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel by means of silicone gel, and the outgoing line tension of the ultra-fine optical fiber cable reel is set to 1N-3N.

5. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable (4) is set to 0.4 mm-0.45 mm, and the tensile strength is greater than 100N.

6. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Taking the length of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable (4) as L, the overall attenuation of the ultra-thin optical fiber cable (4) is less than or equal to [(0.22dB / km×L+0.5dB)@1550nm].

7. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultra-thin optical fiber cable (4) comprises a fiber core (41), a cladding (42), a coating layer (43) and a reinforcement layer (44), wherein the cladding (42) is arranged around the outer periphery of the fiber core (41), the coating layer (43) is arranged around the outer periphery of the cladding (42), and the reinforcement layer (44) is arranged around the outer periphery of the coating layer (43); The fiber core (41) is made of bend-insensitive optical fiber.

8. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The reinforcement layer (44) is made of liquid crystal polymer, and the coating layer (43) is made of high-hardness resin material.

9. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The watertight optical connector (3) comprises a plug pin (31), a top pin (32), a first mounting component and a second mounting component; The plug pin (31) is mounted on the first mounting assembly, and the wet end is connected to the plug pin (31); The ejector pin (32) is mounted on the second mounting assembly, and the second mounting assembly is connected to the underwater device (2); The first mounting component is plugged into the second mounting component, and the insertion pin (31) abuts against the ejector pin (32).

10. The optical fiber cable communication system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first installation component comprises an outer shell (331), a front insulating sleeve (332), an inner sleeve (333), a rear insulating sleeve (334), a retaining spring (335), an outer sleeve (336) and an installation sleeve (337); the front insulating sleeve (332) is installed in the outer shell (331); one end of the outer sleeve (336) extends into the front insulating sleeve (332) and is connected to the front insulating sleeve (332); the other end extends out of the outer shell (331) and is sleeved with the installation sleeve (337); The inner sleeve (333) and the rear insulating sleeve (334) are both installed in the outer sleeve (336), and two ends of the inner sleeve (333) are respectively in contact with the front insulating sleeve (332) and the rear insulating sleeve (334); The retaining spring (335) is installed in the rear insulating sleeve (334), and the plug pin (31) is connected to the retaining spring (335). A first sealing ring (339) and a second sealing ring are installed between the plug pin (31) and the installation sleeve (337), and the second sealing ring is sleeved on the first sealing ring (339). The second mounting assembly comprises a housing (341), a nut (342), a buckle (343) and a retaining ring (344); the retaining ring (344) and the nut (342) are mounted in the housing (341), the retaining ring (344) abuts against the nut (342), and the buckle (343) is located in the retaining ring (344) and connected to the nut (342); One end of the ejector pin (32) abuts against the buckle (343), and the other end extends out of the retaining ring (344), and a spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the buckle (343); A third sealing ring is installed between the housing (341) and the retaining ring (344).