A type of partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable

Abstract

This invention discloses a partitioned easy-to-split optical cable, comprising a skeleton, optical units, a sheath, stripping slots, and color stripes. The skeleton consists of a feeder and a skeleton sheath. The skeleton extends axially outward to form multiple ridges, dividing the interior of the optical cable into multiple skeleton slots, the shape of which approximates a spindle. The optical units are configured with multiple strands containing different numbers of optical fibers, with multiple strands of optical units having the same number of fibers distributed within the same skeleton slot and arranged approximately in a straight line. The skeleton and optical units are encased in a sheath. The sheath is provided with multiple stripping slots, consisting of a set of inner stripping slots and an outer stripping slot. Color stripes are symmetrically positioned at the stripping slots. The partitioned easy-to-split optical cable of this invention exhibits excellent overall performance. Compared to traditional easy-to-split optical cables, the partitioned structure allows for the on-demand splicing of corresponding optical units in scenarios with uneven user distribution, avoiding resource stagnation and waste; it also improves the splicing efficiency of the optical cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical fiber and cable technology, specifically to a partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of gigabit broadband, renovation of old residential areas, and 5G indoor distribution, easy-to-split optical cables have rapidly become widespread in China since 2020. Currently, most commonly used easy-to-split optical cables on the market have a micro-tube structure with a single core count per tube. This leads to resource waste in scenarios with uneven user distribution. Secondly, in vertical cabling scenarios, the micro-tubes have low tensile strength, making long-distance laying impossible after removal. They can only be terminated in the optical cable terminal box, requiring the introduction of new butterfly cables to connect to the user's home. Furthermore, when opening ceiling openings and using stripping tools to cut the optical cable sheath at an angle, excessive angle or force can easily scratch the optical units, requiring rework and repair.

[0003] In conclusion, conventional easy-to-split optical cables are clearly inadequate for certain special application scenarios, and new cable types are urgently needed to fill the market gap. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies or improvement needs of existing technologies, this invention provides a partitioned easy-to-split optical cable with superior overall performance. Its unique partitioned structure design divides optical units with different core counts into partitions. In scenarios with uneven user distribution, the corresponding optical units can be spliced ​​according to the number of users, avoiding resource stagnation and waste. At the same time, the sheath is provided with multiple sets of optical cable stripping slots for opening the optical cable during splicing, avoiding damage to the optical units due to improper operation.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable includes a skeleton, optical units, an outer sheath, stripping grooves, and color strips. The skeleton extends axially outward to form multiple ridges, which divide the interior of the optical cable into multiple non-interfering skeleton grooves. The optical units are provided with multiple strands containing different numbers of cores, and multiple strands of optical units with the same number of cores are distributed in the same skeleton groove and arranged in an approximately "I" line. The skeleton and optical units are wrapped with a sheath. Stripping grooves are provided on both the inner and outer sides of the outer sheath, and the stripping grooves are combined in pairs for stripping the optical cable. The sheath is provided with multiple sets of color strips for positioning the optical units.

[0006] Furthermore, the skeleton consists of a feed line and a skeleton sheath. The edges of the skeleton are all concave arcs. Compared with traditional skeletons, it can not only effectively reduce the weight of the skeleton, but also increase the space of the skeleton slot and improve the extraction efficiency of the optical unit. The feed line is located in the center of the skeleton and is a pure copper conductor with a diameter of no more than 1.0 mm. The minimum wall thickness of the feed line is no less than 0.3 mm. The position of the optical cable can be quickly located through the copper conductor.

[0007] Furthermore, the optical unit comprises an optical fiber unit, a non-metallic reinforcing member, and an optical unit sheath. The optical fiber unit can be one or more of the following: loose fiber, fiber bundle, and fiber ribbon, containing 1 to 12 optical fibers; the non-metallic reinforcing member is made of aramid fiber, and the breaking force of the aramid fiber is not less than 200N, ensuring that the optical unit can be laid over long distances after being removed; the optical unit sheath is made of LSZH and can be easily peeled 1m, with an outer diameter of 0.9mm to 1.5mm.

[0008] Furthermore, the shape of the skeleton groove is approximately spindle-shaped, with its maximum width in the middle being 1.5 to 2.0 times the diameter of the optical unit, ensuring that only one optical unit is allowed to be arranged in the same longitudinal direction within a single skeleton groove, and multiple optical units are arranged approximately in a "I" line.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer sheath is made of halogen-free flame-retardant polyolefin (LSZH) or other materials with flame-retardant properties, with a thickness of not less than 1.0 mm and an outer diameter of not more than 14 mm.

[0010] Furthermore, the peeling groove consists of a set of inner peeling grooves and outer peeling grooves, and is evenly distributed on the sheath; the inner peeling groove is "M" shaped, and the outer peeling groove is "V" shaped. The depth of both the inner and outer peeling grooves is 40% to 50% of the sheath wall thickness. Within the same peeling groove, the outer peeling groove is located in the middle of the inner peeling groove.

[0011] When a window needs to be cut into the optical cable, use a utility knife to make a slanted cut into the sheath at the outer stripping grooves of two adjacent sets. The blade should penetrate the cable to a depth not exceeding the thickness of the sheath. Then, cut the sheath longitudinally to complete the windowing. During the sheath separation process, the inserted blade remains within the inner stripping groove and does not come into contact with the optical unit, so there is no need to worry about damage to the optical unit.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to locate the optical unit that needs to be tapped, color stripes are provided at symmetrical positions of the stripping groove. The color stripes are different in color and are different from the color of the outer sheath.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) The present invention adopts a partitioned structural design, which partitions optical units with different core counts. In scenarios where users are unevenly distributed, the corresponding optical units can be connected as needed, avoiding resource stagnation and waste.

[0014] (2) The present invention adopts a unique skeleton design, which can effectively reduce the weight of the skeleton and reduce costs and increase efficiency. On the other hand, the skeleton groove is similar to a spindle shape. Only one optical unit is allowed to be arranged in the same longitudinal direction in a single skeleton groove. The optical units are arranged in a similar "I" line, which avoids the mutual entanglement between optical units, reduces the friction between optical units, and is conducive to the use of optical units.

[0015] (3) The skeleton of the present invention adds a feeder copper conductor. When the optical cable breaks, the feeder is used to locate the break, which is more convenient and efficient.

[0016] (4) The sheath of the present invention is provided with stripping grooves on both the inner and outer sides. During the process of opening the window of the optical cable, the blade of the stripping tool is always located in the stripping groove, which eliminates the damage to the optical unit caused by excessive angle or force under the traditional window opening method. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an optical unit used in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the optical cable window opening method of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure, the correspondence between the reference numerals and the figure name is as follows: 1. Skeleton, 101. Feeder, 102. Skeleton sheath, 2. Optical unit, 201. Fiber unit, 202. Non-metallic reinforcement, 203. Optical unit sheath, 3. Outer sheath, 4. Stripping groove, 401. Inner stripping groove, 402. Outer stripping groove, 5. Color stripe, 6. Optical cable stripping knife. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] Reference Figure 1This invention provides a partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable, comprising a skeleton 1, optical units 2, an outer sheath 3, stripping grooves 4, and color stripes 5. The skeleton 1 extends axially outward to form three ridges, which divide the interior of the optical cable into three non-interfering skeleton grooves. The optical units 2 are provided with multiple strands, the specific number of which is determined according to the required capacity. This invention describes 12-strand optical units. The optical units 2 include four groups of 1-core, 2-core, and 4-core optical units. Optical units 2 with the same number of cores are placed in the same skeleton groove and arranged in an approximately "I"-shaped pattern. The skeleton 1 and the optical units 2 are wrapped with an outer sheath 3. The outer sheath 3 is made of halogen-free flame-retardant polyolefin (LSZH), with a thickness of not less than 1.0 mm and an outer diameter of not more than 14 mm. The sheath 3 is provided with three groups of stripping grooves 4, which are evenly distributed on the sheath 3. Color stripes 5 are provided symmetrically at the stripping grooves 4. The colors of the color stripes 5 are different from the color of the outer sheath 3. For more efficient splicing, the colors of the optical units 2 in the same skeleton groove are different.

[0023] The frame 1 consists of a feeder 101 and a frame sheath 102. The feeder 101 is located at the exact center of the frame 1. The feeder 101 can use a pure copper conductor with a diameter not exceeding 1.0 mm, such as 24AWG copper wire, and the minimum wall thickness around the feeder 101 is not less than 0.3 mm. During actual construction, when optical cable breaks that cannot be observed with the naked eye occur, the inherent breaks in the optical fiber itself can easily lead to misinterpretations. Using a feeder to locate these breaks is both precise and efficient. When the customer does not require the feeder, non-metallic reinforcing components can be used to improve the tensile strength of the optical cable, such as aramid, glass fiber, and FRP rods.

[0024] The skeleton groove is approximately spindle-shaped, with its maximum width not exceeding twice the diameter of the optical unit. This ensures that only one optical unit is allowed to be arranged longitudinally within a single skeleton groove, preventing stacking and tangling of optical units. In this embodiment, the four optical units 2 are arranged in an approximately "I"-shaped pattern within a single skeleton groove, significantly reducing friction between optical units during splicing and improving construction efficiency. In actual production, the distribution of the optical units 2 within the optical cable can be controlled by adjusting the tension and routing of the optical units.

[0025] Reference Figure 2The optical unit 2 consists of an optical fiber unit 201, a non-metallic reinforcing member 202, and an optical unit sheath 203. The optical fiber unit 201 can be one or more of loose fibers, fiber bundles, and fiber ribbons. The number of fiber cores is determined by the number of users. In this embodiment, 1-core, 2-core, and 4-core loose fiber structures are used. The non-metallic reinforcing member 202 is made of aramid fiber with a breaking strength of not less than 200N. In this embodiment, 3 strands of 440dtex aramid fiber are used. After being removed, the optical unit 2 can be laid over long distances, directly to the user's home. The optical unit sheath 203 is made of LSZH fiber and can be easily peeled 1m. Its outer diameter is 0.9mm to 1.5mm.

[0026] Reference Figure 3 The peeling groove 4 is composed of an inner peeling groove 401 and an outer peeling groove 402. The inner peeling groove 401 is "M" shaped and the outer peeling groove 402 is "V" shaped. The depth of both is 40% to 50% of the thickness of the sheath 3. Within the same peeling groove, the outer peeling groove 402 is located in the middle of the inner peeling groove 401.

[0027] Furthermore, a partitioned easy-to-split optical cable of this application includes a skeleton, optical units, and an outer sheath, characterized in that: the skeleton is formed by axially extending concave polygons, and the skeleton consists of a feed line and a skeleton sheath, with the feed line located at the center of the skeleton; the concave polygon is a shape formed by replacing each side of a regular polygon with an inwardly concave arc; the optical unit consists of an optical fiber unit, a non-metallic reinforcing member, and an optical unit sheath, with the optical fiber unit and the non-metallic reinforcing member both located inside the optical unit sheath, and the non-metallic reinforcing member located in the gaps within the optical unit sheath; there are multiple optical units; the outer sheath is made of a cylindrical outer sheath body material, and multiple sets of evenly distributed... The fabric has stripping grooves, each set of which consists of an inner stripping groove and an outer stripping groove. The inner stripping groove is M-shaped, and the outer stripping groove is V-shaped. The opening of the inner stripping groove is on the inner wall of the outer sheath, and the opening of the outer stripping groove is on the outer wall of the outer sheath. The depth of both the inner and outer stripping grooves is 40% to 50% of the outer sheath wall thickness. In the same stripping groove, the outer stripping groove is located directly above the outer side of the inner stripping groove. The skeleton is located in the inner cavity of the outer sheath, and the outer edge of the skeleton abuts against the center of the M-shape of the inner stripping groove on the inner wall of the outer sheath. Multiple non-interfering skeleton grooves are formed between the skeleton sheath and the outer sheath. Multiple optical units are arranged in an approximately linear manner in each skeleton groove.

[0028] The aforementioned partitioned easy-to-split optical cable is characterized in that: the number of optical fiber cores contained in the optical units within different skeleton slots is different, or partially different, or the same.

[0029] The aforementioned partitioned easy-splitting optical cable is characterized by: color stripes on the outer sheath surface between adjacent stripping slots; all color stripes are different colors; or color stripes are provided on the outer sheath surface between some adjacent stripping slots, such as... Figure 1 In this configuration, there are only two locations with color bars; alternatively, all the color bars are distributed according to a certain pattern, allowing for some bars to be the same color. For example, with five color bars, one of two adjacent bars is red and the other is green, while the others are white. This results in a distribution of red, green, white 1, white 2, white 3 when viewed from one end face, and a counter-clockwise distribution on the other end face. This facilitates the identification of the skeleton slot position, enabling accurate extraction of the optical unit. It also makes production more convenient.

[0030] As a further improvement, a V-shaped groove can be formed at the outer edge of the skeleton. This V-shaped groove at the outer edge of the skeleton is locked in the center of the M-shaped groove on the inner side, making the positioning between the skeleton and the outer sheath more accurate and reliable. Even under small to medium intensity torsion and bending, the positions of the two can still be relatively fixed, making the product structure more stable and reliable.

[0031] Traditionally, when opening windows in optical cables, a stripper is used to first cut axially into the sheath and then longitudinally cut it out. In practice, the cutting angle and force are difficult to control, and the blade penetrating deep into the cable can easily come into contact with the optical unit, causing damage. However, in the optical cable provided in this embodiment, when opening windows, the optical cable stripper 6 is used to obliquely cut into the sheath at corresponding points on the inner and outer stripping grooves 401 and 402 of the stripping groove 4. The blade penetrates the cable to a length not exceeding the sheath thickness, and the inserted blade remains within the inner stripping groove 401. Then, the sheath is longitudinally cut out, thus completing the opening of the optical cable. During the operation, the blade does not contact the optical unit, eliminating concerns about damage to the optical unit.

[0032] In summary, the partitioned easy-splitting optical cable of the present invention has excellent overall performance. Its unique partitioned structure design, compared with traditional easy-splitting optical cables, allows for the on-demand splicing of corresponding optical units in scenarios with uneven user distribution, avoiding resource stagnation and waste. At the same time, the unique skeleton groove and stripping groove design also help to improve the splicing efficiency of the optical cable.

[0033] This application can be used as a smart sensor or smart sensing element; since it can transmit voice and images, it can also be used as a physical sensor, such as a voice sensor or an image sensor; since it transmits light signals through the principle of total internal reflection, it can also be used as a distance sensor; the optical fiber in this application is itself an optical waveguide, so it can be used as an optical waveguide, such as an arrayed optical waveguide or a diffractive optical waveguide; this application can also be used in the field of optical computing, as part of optical chip computing, optical computing, optical network computing, and optical computing.

[0034] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable, comprising a frame (1), optical units (2), an outer sheath (3), stripping grooves (4), and color stripes (5), characterized in that: The skeleton (1) extends outward axially to form multiple ridges, which divide the interior of the optical cable into multiple non-interfering skeleton slots; the optical unit (2) has multiple strands with different core numbers, and multiple optical units (2) with the same core number are distributed in the same skeleton slot and arranged in an approximately "I" shape; the skeleton (1) and the optical unit (2) are wrapped with a sheath (3); the outer sheath (3) has multiple sets of stripping grooves (4), and the stripping grooves (4) consist of a set of inner stripping grooves (401) and an outer stripping groove (402). The frame (1) is composed of a feed line (101) and a frame sheath (102), and the edges of the frame are all concave arcs; the feed line (101) is placed in the center of the frame (1); the frame (1) is wrapped with a frame sheath (102); the optical unit (2) is composed of an optical fiber unit (201), a non-metallic reinforcing member (202) and an optical unit sheath (203).

2. The partitioned easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feeder is a pure copper conductor with a diameter of no more than 1.0 mm, and the minimum wall thickness around the feeder is no less than 0.3 mm.

3. The partitioned easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The optical fiber unit is one or more of the following: loose fiber, optical fiber bundle, and optical fiber ribbon. Each optical fiber unit contains 1 to 12 optical fibers. The non-metallic reinforcing member is made of aramid fiber, and the breaking strength of aramid fiber is not less than 200N. The optical unit sheath is made of LSZH fiber, and the optical unit sheath can be easily peeled off by 1m. The outer diameter of the optical unit sheath is 0.9mm to 1.5mm.

4. The partitioned easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sheath is made of a flame-retardant material with a thickness of not less than 1.0 mm and an outer diameter of not more than 14 mm.

5. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inner peeling groove is "M" shaped and the outer peeling groove is "V" shaped. The depth of both is 40% to 50% of the outer sheath wall thickness. Within the same peeling groove, the outer peeling groove is located in the middle of the inner peeling groove.

6. The partitioned easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When a window needs to be opened in the optical cable, the outer sheath is obliquely cut into the outer sheath at the corresponding position of the outer and inner stripping grooves of the same stripping groove. The length of the blade penetrating the optical cable does not exceed the thickness of the outer sheath. Then, the outer sheath is cut longitudinally to complete the opening of the optical cable. During the sheath separation process, the penetrating blade is always located in the inner stripping groove.

7. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The stripes are different colors and are different from the color of the outer sheath.

8. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The shape of the skeleton groove is similar to that of a spindle, with the maximum width in the middle being 1.5 to 2.0 times the diameter of the optical unit. Only one optical unit is arranged in the same longitudinal direction within a single skeleton groove, and multiple optical units within a single skeleton groove are arranged in an approximate "I" line.

9. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable, comprising a frame (1), optical units (2), and an outer sheath (3), characterized in that: The skeleton (1) is formed by the axial extension of a concave polygon with an arc. The skeleton (1) consists of a feed line (101) and a skeleton sheath (102). The feed line (101) is located at the center of the skeleton (1). The concave polygon with an arc is a shape formed by replacing each side of a regular polygon with an inwardly concave arc. The optical unit (2) consists of an optical fiber unit (201), a non-metallic reinforcing member (202), and an optical unit sheath (203). The optical fiber unit (201) and the non-metallic reinforcing member (202) are both located inside the optical unit sheath (203). The non-metallic reinforcing member (202) is located in the gap inside the optical unit sheath (203). There are multiple optical units (2). The outer sheath (3) is made of a cylindrical outer sheath body material. The outer sheath (3) is provided with multiple sets of stripping grooves (4) evenly distributed on the outer sheath (3). Each set of stripping grooves (4) consists of a set of The outer sheath (3) consists of an inner peeling groove (401) and an outer peeling groove (402). The inner peeling groove (401) is M-shaped, and the outer peeling groove (402) is V-shaped. The opening of the inner peeling groove (401) is on the inner wall of the outer sheath (3), and the opening of the outer peeling groove (402) is on the outer wall of the outer sheath (3). The depth of both the inner peeling groove (401) and the outer peeling groove (402) is 40% to 50% of the wall thickness of the outer sheath. %, In the same stripping groove, the outer stripping groove is located directly above the outer stripping groove; the skeleton (1) is located in the inner cavity of the outer sheath (3), and the outer edge of the skeleton (1) abuts against the center of the M-shaped inner stripping groove (401) on the inner wall of the outer sheath (3). Multiple skeleton grooves that do not interfere with each other are formed between the skeleton sheath (102) and the outer sheath (3); multiple optical units (2) are arranged in an approximately straight line in each skeleton groove.

10. A partitioned, easy-to-split optical cable as described in claim 9, characterized in that: Color stripes (5) are provided on the outer sheath surface between adjacent peeling grooves (4), and all the color stripes (5) are different in color; or, color stripes (5) are provided on the outer sheath surface between some adjacent peeling grooves (4).

Images