Photoelectric hybrid cable and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of photoelectric communication equipment, and particularly discloses a photoelectric hybrid cable which specifically comprises a sheath, a conductor and an optical fiber, the conductor and the optical fiber are arranged in the sheath, the conductor is of a flat structure, and the flat structure is perpendicular to the penetrating direction of a connector connected with the sheath. The conductor is designed to be of the flat structure, and the flat structure is perpendicular to the penetrating direction of the connector connected with the sheath, so that a metal sheet at the tail end of the connector is contacted with the flat side surface of the conductor and is uniformly stressed after puncturing the photoelectric hybrid cable, a larger contact area is formed, the contact resistance is effectively reduced, and the stability and efficiency of current transmission are improved; and the ductility is obviously reduced by the flat structure, so that the good electric contact of the hybrid cable in the stretching process is ensured, and the stability and reliability of the contact are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of optoelectronic communication equipment technology, and more specifically, relates to an optoelectronic hybrid cable and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, hybrid cables used in FTTR (Fiber To The Room) generally adopt a butterfly-shaped optical-electric hybrid cable structure. The core is the optical unit, and the conductors at both ends are mainly made of Category 5 soft bare copper or tin-plated copper stranded together, with the outer sheath made of low-smoke halogen-free material. When connecting to a dedicated connector, the metal tab at the connector's tail needs to pierce the sheath and contact the conductor to transmit current. However, traditional round conductors have many drawbacks: the contact area with the metal tab after piercing is limited. Actual testing shows that the contact area between a traditional round conductor and the connector's metal tab is approximately 0.1mm*0.1mm, resulting in high contact resistance and even situations where no current is transmitted due to manufacturing deviations. Furthermore, the conductor strands are ductile and easily deform under external tension. Tensile tests show that the contact resistance increases by 5%-10%, further severely affecting the stability of current transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the defects or improvement needs of the prior art, this application provides a hybrid optoelectronic cable and its preparation method, which aims to solve the problems of high contact resistance and easy deformation due to the circular copper conductor in the existing optoelectronic hybrid cable.

[0004] This application provides a hybrid optical-electric cable, specifically including a sheath, a conductor, and an optical fiber. The conductor and the optical fiber are disposed inside the sheath, and the conductor has a flat structure, which is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connector connected to the sheath.

[0005] As a further preferred embodiment, the conductor is a copper sheet.

[0006] As a further preferred embodiment, the copper sheet has a width ranging from 0.9 mm to 1.1 mm and a thickness ranging from 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0007] As a further preferred embodiment, the width of the sheath is greater than its thickness, and the number of copper sheets is two, which are arranged side by side at both ends of the width direction of the sheath.

[0008] As a further preferred embodiment, the optical fiber and copper sheet are disposed in the middle of the thickness direction of the sheath, with the optical fiber located at the center of the sheath and the copper sheet symmetrically distributed on both sides of the optical fiber.

[0009] As a further preferred embodiment, aramid fibers are incorporated into the sheath as a reinforcing element.

[0010] As a further preferred embodiment, the linear density of the aramid fiber is between 900D and 1100D.

[0011] As a further preferred embodiment, the proportion of aramid fiber added ranges from 5% to 10% of the total weight of the mixed cable.

[0012] This application also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned optoelectronic hybrid cable. Specifically, during the preparation of the hybrid cable, a conductor material is added into a mold core hole with a flat shape, so that the conductor with the flat structure is formed inside the sheath.

[0013] As a further preferred embodiment, during the preparation of the hybrid cable, aramid fibers are distributed around the conductor, and the aramid fibers and conductor are subjected to stress synchronously through an extrusion process, so that the aramid fibers and conductor are fixed to the sheath to form a composite structure; wherein, the extrusion temperature range is 130℃~180℃, and the wire tension of the aramid fibers during extrusion is 40N~55N.

[0014] In summary, compared with the prior art, the technical solutions conceived in this application have the following main technical advantages: 1. The optoelectronic hybrid cable provided in this application designs the conductor as a flat structure, and the flat structure is perpendicular to the direction of the connector inserted into the sheath. This allows the metal piece at the tail end of the connector to pierce the optoelectronic hybrid cable and then contact the flat side of the conductor with uniform force, forming a larger contact area. This effectively reduces contact resistance and improves the stability and efficiency of current transmission. Furthermore, the flat structure significantly reduces ductility, ensuring good electrical contact even during the stretching process of the hybrid cable, thus guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the contact.

[0015] 2. This application also studied the width and thickness range of the copper sheet, achieving a balance between the mechanical strength and conductivity of the conductor. This ensures sufficient contact area, and actual testing shows that the contact area between the flat copper sheet and the connector metal sheet is 0.1mm × 0.3mm. It also avoids the increase in cable rigidity caused by excessive thickness, thus taking into account the flexibility and installation adaptability of the hybrid cable.

[0016] 3. By designing the sheath as a flat cross-section with a width greater than its thickness, and distributing two copper plates side by side at both ends in the width direction, the spatial optimization and symmetrical layout of the cable body are achieved. This design not only improves the cable body's bending resistance, but also allows the connector to make uniform contact with the two copper plates simultaneously when inserted, further enhancing the stability and reliability of current transmission.

[0017] 4. By placing the copper sheets in the middle of the sheath thickness direction and distributing them symmetrically in the width direction, the conductors are evenly distributed inside the sheath, effectively avoiding stress concentration, improving the structural stability and torsion resistance of the cable, ensuring uniform force when the connector is inserted, thereby improving the consistency and durability of the electrical connection.

[0018] 5. By adding aramid fibers as reinforcement to the sheath, the tensile strength and impact resistance of the hybrid cable are significantly enhanced, enabling the cable to maintain structural integrity even in harsh environments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a hybrid optical-electric cable provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a mold for manufacturing a hybrid optoelectronic cable provided in an embodiment of this application; In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or structures, wherein: 10. Sheath; 20. Conductor; 21. Copper sheet; 30. Aramid fiber; 40. Optical fiber; 41. Mold sleeve; 42. Mold core; 411. Conical groove; 421. Conical boss; 42a. Optical fiber hole; 42b. Copper sheet hole; 42c. Aramid fiber hole. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a hybrid optoelectronic cable, specifically including a sheath 10, a conductor 20, and an optical fiber 40. The conductor 20 and the optical fiber 40 are disposed inside the sheath 10, and the conductor 20 has a flat structure. This flat structure is aligned with the direction in which the connector connecting to the sheath 10 is inserted. Figure 1 (The direction indicated by the middle arrow) is perpendicular.

[0022] By designing the conductor 20 as a flat structure, and making the flat structure perpendicular to the direction in which the connector pierces the connecting sheath 10, the metal piece at the end of the connector pierces the optoelectronic hybrid cable and then contacts the flat side of the conductor 20 with uniform force, forming a larger contact area. This effectively reduces contact resistance and improves the stability and efficiency of current transmission. Furthermore, the flat structure significantly reduces ductility, ensuring good electrical contact even during the stretching process of the hybrid cable, thus guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the contact.

[0023] Conductor 20 is a copper sheet 21. Copper material has excellent conductivity and machinability, which ensures high efficiency of current transmission and mechanical durability of conductor 20, improves connection stability and lifespan, and copper sheet 21 can be formed in one step, reducing the original copper conductor stranding process. According to production process optimization statistics, production efficiency has been increased by 15% - 20%.

[0024] The copper strip 21 has a width ranging from 0.9mm to 1.1mm and a thickness ranging from 0.3mm to 0.4mm. Limiting the width and thickness of the copper strip 21 to a specific range achieves an optimal balance between the mechanical strength and conductivity of the conductor 20. This size design ensures sufficient contact area to reduce contact resistance while avoiding excessive thickness that would increase cable rigidity, thereby improving the flexibility and installation adaptability of the hybrid cable. For example, in some embodiments, the copper strip 21 has a width of 0.9mm and a thickness of 0.4mm; in other embodiments, it has a width of 1mm and a thickness of 0.3mm; and in still other embodiments, it has a thickness of 1.1mm and a thickness of 0.36mm. Actual testing shows that the flat copper strip design significantly increases the contact area with the connector metal plate.

[0025] In a specific implementation scenario, the original copper cable has a circular cross-section. When the connector's metal plate is inserted, the contact area between the metal plate and the copper cable is a point contact, which is only the thickness of the metal plate multiplied by the diameter of the copper cable, approximately 0.1mm x 0.1mm. After adopting the implementation scheme of this application, when the connector's metal plate is inserted, the metal plate contacts the side of the copper plate 21. At this time, the contact area can reach the size of the end face of the metal plate. Based on the commonly used metal plate width of 0.3mm, the contact area can reach 0.1mm x 0.3mm, which expands the contact surface by 200%, effectively reducing the contact resistance and improving the stability of current transmission.

[0026] In the embodiments of this application, the width dimension D of the cross-section of the sheath 10 is greater than its thickness dimension H, and there are two copper plates 21 arranged side by side at both ends of the width direction of the sheath 10. By designing the sheath 10 as a flat cross-section with a width greater than its thickness, and distributing two copper plates 21 side by side at both ends of the width direction, the spatial optimization and symmetrical layout of the cable body are achieved. This design not only improves the bending resistance of the cable body, but also allows the connector to make uniform contact with both copper plates 21 simultaneously when inserted, further enhancing the stability and reliability of current transmission.

[0027] Specifically, the optical fiber 40 and copper sheet 21 are disposed in the middle of the thickness direction of the sheath 10, with the optical fiber 40 located at the center of the sheath 10, and the copper sheet 21 symmetrically distributed on both sides of the optical fiber 40. Distributing the copper sheet 21 in the middle of the thickness direction of the sheath 10 and symmetrically on both sides of the optical fiber 40 ensures a balanced distribution of the conductor 20 within the cable body, effectively avoiding stress concentration, improving the structural stability and torsion resistance of the cable body, and ensuring uniform force during connector insertion, maximizing the contact area, thereby enhancing the consistency and durability of the electrical connection.

[0028] The above structure effectively solves the power outage problem caused by poor contact, reduces the system failure rate, and significantly improves the overall reliability of the FTTR system when applied to it.

[0029] Aramid fiber 30 is added to the sheath 10 as a reinforcing element to enhance the tensile strength and impact resistance of the hybrid cable, so that the cable can maintain its structural integrity even in harsh environments. At the same time, the lightweight nature of aramid fiber 30 avoids a significant increase in the weight of the cable, ensuring the ease of wiring and long-term reliability of the hybrid cable.

[0030] To improve the durability and service life of the hybrid cable under bending and tensile conditions, the linear density of aramid fiber 30 is between 900D and 1100D. The linear density and strength matching of the aramid fiber are optimized to ensure that the reinforcement maintains good flexibility while providing high tensile strength. For example, in one embodiment, the linear density of aramid fiber 30 is 900D; in another embodiment, it is 970D; and in some embodiments, it is 1100D.

[0031] The proportion of aramid fiber 30 added ranges from 5% to 10% of the total weight of the hybrid cable. This proportion ensures the consistency of the position and orientation of the flat conductor 20 within the cable body, thereby guaranteeing the electrical performance stability and quality reliability of the hybrid cable under mass production. For example, in one embodiment, the proportion of aramid fiber 30 added is 5% of the total weight of the hybrid cable; in another embodiment, the proportion of aramid fiber 30 added is 7.5% of the total weight of the hybrid cable; and in some embodiments, the proportion of aramid fiber 30 added reaches 10% of the total weight of the hybrid cable. It should be understood that the total weight of the hybrid cable in this application refers to the total weight of the optoelectronic hybrid cable product after the addition of aramid fiber 30.

[0032] This application also provides a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned hybrid optical cable. Specifically, during the hybrid cable manufacturing process, conductor 20 material is added into a mold core hole with a flat shape, so that the flat conductor 20 is formed inside the sheath 10. Using a mold with a flat mold core hole to directly form the conductor 20 simplifies the manufacturing process and improves shape accuracy, ensuring the consistency of the position and orientation of the flat conductor 20 within the cable body, thereby guaranteeing the electrical performance stability and quality reliability of the hybrid cable under mass production.

[0033] As shown in the figure, this is a schematic diagram of the extrusion mold used in this application to prepare the above-mentioned optoelectronic hybrid cable. It includes a mold sleeve 41 and a mold core 42. A conical groove 411 is formed at the upper end of the mold sleeve 41. A forming hole 41a adapted to the sheath 10 is formed at the bottom of the conical groove 411. A conical boss 421 adapted to the conical groove 41a is formed at the bottom of the mold core 42. An optical fiber hole 42a is formed at the center of the conical boss 421, two copper sheet holes 42b are respectively located on both sides of the optical fiber hole 42a, and a plurality of aramid fiber holes 42c are distributed around the copper sheet holes 42b. When the conical boss 421 is fitted into the conical groove 41a, a sheath material cavity is formed between the surface of the conical groove 41a and the bottom surface of the conical boss 421. The projection of the forming hole 41a in its axial direction completely covers the optical fiber hole 42a, the copper sheet hole 42b and the aramid fiber hole 42c.

[0034] In the hybrid cable preparation process, aramid fibers 30 are distributed around the sheath 10. Through extrusion, the aramid fibers 30 and copper sheets 21 are simultaneously stressed, so that the aramid fibers 30 and copper sheets 21 are fixed inside the sheath 10 to form a composite structure. Specifically, optical fiber 40 is inserted from the top of the core 42, two copper sheets 21 are inserted into the corresponding copper sheet holes 42b, and aramid fibers 30 are inserted into the aramid fiber holes 42c. The ends of optical fiber 40, copper sheets 21 and aramid fibers 30 all extend into the forming hole 41a. Then, sheath raw materials are injected into the sheath material cavity, the extrusion equipment is turned on, the extrusion process parameters are set, and the extrusion is completed. In the preferred embodiment of this application, the extrusion temperature range is 130℃ ~ 180℃, and the wire tension range of aramid fibers 30 during extrusion is 40N ~ 55N. By controlling the temperature (130℃~180℃) and the wire tension (40N~55N) during the extrusion process, and by simultaneously subjecting the aramid fiber 30 and the copper sheet 21 to stress to form a composite structure, the interfacial bonding strength of each component is effectively enhanced, improving the overall mechanical properties and environmental adaptability of the hybrid cable. At the same time, the optimization of process parameters ensures production efficiency and product consistency. After tensile testing, the addition of aramid fiber shows that the hybrid cable can withstand a force of 120N within 1 minute under the condition that the fiber strain meets the requirements, and the resistance change rate after stretching is less than 2%, which effectively enhances its mechanical properties and enables it to better adapt to various complex cabling environments, reducing damage to optical fibers and conductors caused by stretching.

[0035] In actual use, it was found that the hybrid cable and connector using the embodiments of this application have better compatibility, a simpler and faster installation process, and reduced subsequent maintenance costs. Actual installation tests showed that installation time was reduced by 20%-30% compared to traditional hybrid cables, and the frequency of subsequent maintenance was reduced by 15%-20%.

[0036] The improved optoelectronic hybrid cable was tested according to the requirements of GB / T 4909.2-2009, GB / T 4909.3-2009 and GB / T7424.21-2021. The performance comparison before and after the improvement is shown in Table 1.

[0037] Table 1. Performance comparison before and after structural improvement in this application.

[0038] As shown in Table 1, compared with the improvements before and after, the DC resistance of the copper conductor at 20℃, the additional attenuation of the optical fiber under long-term tension, and the strain of the optical fiber under long-term tension have all been improved. Moreover, the strain of the optical fiber under short-term tension after the improvement meets the requirements of standard YD / T 1997.4-2002. The strain of the optical fiber under short-term tension has been reduced from 0.671% (unqualified) to 0.288% (qualified), which meets the requirement of ≤0.4% strain of the optical fiber under short-term tension.

[0039] It should be understood that expressions such as "comprising" and "may include" as used in this application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In this application, terms such as "comprising" and / or "having" may be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or combination thereof, but should not be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0040] It should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An optical-electrical hybrid cable, characterized by, The cable comprises a sheath (10), a conductor (20) and an optical fiber (40), the conductor (20) and the optical fiber (40) are arranged inside the sheath (10), the conductor (20) is in a flat structure which is perpendicular to the direction of the connector piercing.

2. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 1, wherein, The conductor (20) is a copper sheet (21).

3. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 2, wherein, The width of the copper sheet (21) ranges from 0.9mm to 1.1mm, and the thickness ranges from 0.3mm to 0.4mm.

4. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 2, wherein, The width of the cross section of the sheath (10) is greater than its thickness, and the number of the copper sheets (21) is two and they are distributed at both ends of the sheath (10) in the width direction.

5. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 4, wherein, The optical fiber (40) and the copper sheet (21) are arranged in the middle of the sheath (10) in the thickness direction, and the optical fiber (40) is located at the center of the sheath (10), and the two copper sheets (21) are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the optical fiber (40).

6. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 2, wherein, The sheath (10) is added with aramid fiber (30) as a reinforcing member.

7. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 6, wherein, The linear density of the aramid fiber (30) ranges from 900D to 1100D.

8. The optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 6, wherein, The proportion of the aramid fiber (30) ranges from 5% to 10% of the total weight of the hybrid cable.

9. A method of manufacturing the optical-electrical hybrid cable of claim 1, wherein, During the preparation of the hybrid cable, the conductor (20) material is added to the flat core hole, so that the flat conductor (20) is formed inside the sheath (10).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, During the preparation of the hybrid cable, the aramid fiber (30) is distributed around the conductor (20), and the aramid fiber (30) and the conductor (20) are forced synchronously through the extrusion process, so that the aramid fiber (30) and the conductor (20) are fixed in the sheath (10) to form a composite structure; wherein the extrusion temperature ranges from 130℃ to 180℃, and the wire tension of the aramid fiber (30) during extrusion ranges from 40N to 55N.

Images