Flexible optical fiber ribbon and optical cable

Abstract

The utility model discloses a flexible optical fiber ribbon and an optical cable. The flexible optical fiber ribbon comprises a plurality of optical fibers which are arranged side by side, a plurality of bonding parts which are distributed intermittently in the axial direction are arranged between the adjacent optical fibers, and the bonding parts are made of the same material; the optical fiber is provided with a coloring layer located on the secondary outer layer and a transparent layer located on the outermost layer. The transparent layers of the plurality of optical fibers are made of the same material, and the transparent layers are axially continuous and circumferentially continuous; the color and / or shape of the colored layer of the optical fiber is observed through the transparent layer, and the color and / or shape of the colored layer of at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of one of the other optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers. According to the utility model, the difficulty of material development, manufacturing and ribbon combining process control caused by subtle balance control of adhesive force and tearing force is reduced, the consistency of the adhesive force between the optical fiber and the bonding part in the flexible optical fiber ribbon is improved, and the stability of the product quality is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of optical fiber communication, and more specifically, relates to a flexible optical fiber ribbon and an optical cable. Background Art

[0002] There are intermittent connections between adjacent optical fibers in a flexible optical fiber ribbon. The connection is formed by placing a bonding material or glue between the optical fibers in a regular pattern through a device. In order to mark the optical fibers, the optical fibers in the same flexible optical fiber ribbon are colored with different colors or marks. The coloring layer of the optical fiber is a masterbatch mixed in a resin and coated or partially coated on the side of the optical fiber.

[0003] Since pigments of different colors have different effects on the physical and chemical properties of the resin, when the bonding material or glue forms an intermittent bonding portion, it is difficult to control the bonding force between different optical fibers and the bonding portion in the same optical fiber ribbon to be consistent, resulting in a certain optical fiber being more easily debonded or more difficult to separate than other optical fibers, affecting the quality or use of optical cables using flexible optical fiber ribbons. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above defects or improvement needs of the prior art, the utility model provides a flexible optical fiber ribbon and optical cable, the purpose of which is to form a flexible optical fiber ribbon by coating a transparent layer of the same material on the outside of the optical fiber coloring layer, and the transparent layer is in contact with the bonding part, so as to ensure that the bonding force between each optical fiber in the optical fiber ribbon and the bonding part is consistent, thereby solving the technical problems of the existing flexible optical fiber ribbon such as debonding of the optical fiber ribbon or difficulty in separating the optical fibers due to inconsistent bonding force between the optical fibers and the bonding part, and high difficulty in material development.

[0005] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the utility model, a flexible optical fiber ribbon is provided, comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are arranged side by side, and a plurality of bonding portions are intermittently distributed axially between adjacent optical fibers, and the plurality of bonding portions are made of the same material;

[0006] The optical fiber has a colored layer in the second outermost layer and a transparent layer in the outermost layer;

[0007] The transparent layers of the plurality of optical fibers are made of the same material, and the transparent layers are continuous in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction;

[0008] The color and / or shape of the colored layer of the optical fiber is observed through the transparent layer, and the color and / or shape of the colored layer of at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of one of the other optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers.

[0009] Preferably, in the flexible optical fiber ribbon, the color and / or shape of the coloring layer of any optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of other optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers, so as to serve as a unique mark of the optical fiber.

[0010] Preferably, in the flexible optical fiber ribbon, the coloring layer has a thickness of 1 to 15 μm, a modulus of the coloring layer is higher than a modulus of the transparent layer, a shape of the coloring layer is circumferentially continuous or discontinuous, and a shape of the coloring layer is axially continuous or discontinuous; and the coloring layer is made of photocurable acrylic ink.

[0011] Preferably, the transparent layer of the flexible optical fiber ribbon has a transmittance of visible light of more than 85%.

[0012] Preferably, in the flexible optical fiber ribbon, the transparent layer has a thickness of 10-100 μm, a modulus of greater than 50 MPa, a circular outer contour, and the transparent layer is made of the same resin as the matrix and / or bonding portion of the colored layer.

[0013] Preferably, the transparent layer of the flexible optical fiber ribbon has a thickness of 10 to 50 μm.

[0014] Preferably, the modulus of the transparent layer of the flexible optical fiber ribbon is greater than 500 MPa.

[0015] Preferably, the transparent layer of the flexible optical fiber ribbon is made of light-curing acrylic resin.

[0016] Preferably, the bonding portion of the flexible optical fiber ribbon is made of a light-curable resin, and the bonding portion is continuous or discontinuous in the optical fiber arrangement direction.

[0017] According to another aspect of the utility model, an optical cable is provided, which includes an outer sheath and a flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by the utility model, wherein the flexible optical fiber ribbon is accommodated in the outer sheath.

[0018] In general, the above technical solutions conceived by the utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0019] The flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by the utility model simplifies the bonding strength of the optical fiber bonding part from a combination of bonding resin + a plurality of colored resin surfaces to a combination of bonding resin + a high-transmittance resin. There is no need to consider the influence of different optical fiber coloring pigments on the bonding strength between the optical fiber coating and the bonding part, thereby reducing the difficulty of material development, manufacturing and ribbon process control caused by the delicate balance control of bonding strength and tearing force, improving the consistency of the bonding strength between the optical fiber and the bonding part in the flexible optical fiber ribbon, and facilitating ensuring the stability of product quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic plan view of a flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the end face of the flexible optical fiber ribbon provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible optical fiber ribbon cable provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic plan view of a flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by an embodiment of the utility model, wherein the bonding portion is continuous in the optical fiber arrangement direction;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the color layer of the optical fiber color strip provided in Example 2 of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the coloring layer structure of the optical fiber color ring provided in Example 2 of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the optical fiber spot coloring layer structure provided in Example 2 of the utility model.

[0027] In all the drawings, the same figure numbers are used to represent the same elements or structures, among which: 1 is optical fiber, 2 is bonding part, 3 is optical fiber glass part, second arrangement bonding part, 4 is natural color optical fiber resin, 5 is coloring layer, 6 is transparent layer, 7 is water blocking element, 8 is protective structure, 9 is tensile element, and 10 is outer sheath. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model. In addition, the technical features involved in each embodiment of the utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0029] The flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by the utility model is as follows Figure 1 As shown, it includes a plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of optical fibers are arranged side by side, and a plurality of bonding portions are intermittently distributed axially between adjacent optical fibers, and the plurality of bonding portions are made of the same material;

[0030] The optical fiber has a colored layer in the second outermost layer and a transparent layer in the outermost layer;

[0031] The transparent layers of the plurality of optical fibers are made of the same material, the transparent layers are continuous in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction, and preferably have a circular outer contour;

[0032] The color and / or shape of the coloring layer of the optical fiber is observed through the transparent layer, and the color and / or shape of the coloring layer of at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of one of the other optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers. When the coloring layers of two optical fibers are different in color or shape, directly bonding them through the bonding part will cause the problem of inconsistent bonding force. The transparent layer is used to cover the optical fiber, and the transparent layer is bonded to the bonding part, so that this problem can be solved.

[0033] Usually, the shape and / or color difference of the optical fiber coloring layer serves as an identification: the color and / or shape of the coloring layer of any optical fiber among the multiple optical fibers is different from that of other optical fibers among the multiple optical fibers, so as to serve as a unique mark of the optical fiber.

[0034] The coloring layer has a thickness of 1 to 15 μm. A too thin coloring layer will cause the color to be too light, affecting the recognition efficiency. A too thick coloring layer will squeeze the thickness of the resin in direct contact with the glass inside the coloring layer, thereby affecting the bending loss and long-term durability of the optical fiber. The modulus of the coloring layer is higher than the modulus of the transparent layer. When the optical fiber is separated, the transparent layer will break before the coloring layer to avoid the coloring layer being torn and affecting the recognition effect after the branching optical fiber. The shape of the coloring layer is continuous or discontinuous in the circumferential direction; the shape of the coloring layer is continuous or discontinuous in the axial direction. Usually, the coloring layer is continuous in both the axial and circumferential directions, that is, fully coated; the shape of the coloring layer that is discontinuous in the circumferential direction is such as a color strip; the shape of the coloring layer that is discontinuous in the axial direction is such as a color ring; the situation where the coloring layer is discontinuous in both the circumferential and axial directions is such as a spot. Here, the axial direction refers to the length direction of the optical fiber or the flexible optical fiber ribbon, and the circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction of the optical fiber.

[0035] The transparent layer has a transmittance of more than 85% for visible light, so that the color and shape of the coloring layer are easy to observe with the naked eye and easy to identify; its thickness is 1 to 100 μm, and the overall strength formed by the transparent resin itself and the adhesive resin after the colored optical fiber is the bonding strength between the optical fibers. A too thin transparent layer will make the overall strength low, affecting the stability of the optical fiber ribbon structure. A too thick transparent layer will squeeze the thickness of the resin in direct contact with the glass inside the coloring layer, thereby affecting the macrobending resistance and long-term durability of the optical fiber. The modulus of the transparent layer is greater than 50Mpa, preferably greater than 500Mpa. The material of the transparent layer is the same resin as the matrix and / or bonding part of the coloring layer, preferably a light-cured acrylic resin, which is the same resin as the matrix of the coloring layer to ensure the stable bonding between the coloring layer and the transparent layer, and the same resin as the bonding part to ensure the stable bonding between the transparent layer and the bonding part.

[0036] The bonding portion is made of a light-curing resin, and the bonding portion is continuous or discontinuous in the optical fiber arrangement direction.

[0037] The optical cable provided by the utility model is as follows Figure 3As shown, it includes an outer sheath and a flexible optical fiber ribbon provided by the utility model, and if necessary, also includes:

[0038] Water-blocking components, such as water-blocking ointment, water-blocking yarn, water-blocking tape, and water-blocking powder;

[0039] Protective structures such as loose tubes, skeletons, and steel belt armor layers;

[0040] Tensile elements such as central reinforcement, phosphated steel wire, FRP strips.

[0041] The following are examples:

[0042] The flexible optical fiber ribbon provided in this embodiment is a 12-core optical fiber ribbon, and the spacing between the optical fiber centers is 250 μm. The structure of the 250 μm colored optical fiber used in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 2 As shown: 210μm natural color optical fiber, the glass part has a diameter of 125μm, and the outer layer of the glass is coated with inner and outer layers. The diameter after coating is 210μm, and then it is colored with acrylic-based ink. The outer diameter of the colored layer is 220μm. A layer of acrylic light-cured high-transmittance resin with a thickness of about 15μm is colored on the outside of the colored optical fiber. The transmittance of the second-highest resin is above 85%, so that the diameter of the optical fiber becomes 250μm. After this layer is colored, the transparent layer does not affect the distinction between optical fibers through the colored layer. The transmittance of the colored layer is 25%. The modulus of the high-transmittance cured resin is 550Mpa, and the modulus of the transparent layer is lower than that of the colored layer. The modulus of the colored layer is 650Mpa. When the optical fiber is separated, the transparent layer will break before the colored layer to avoid the colored layer being torn and affecting the identification effect after the branched optical fiber.

[0043] The coloring layers of the 12 optical fibers are all fully coated in an axial and circumferentially continuous manner. The colors of the optical fibers are different, namely, 12 standard color optical fibers, and the optical fibers are uniquely identified by color.

[0044] The bonding resin is intermittently distributed between the optical fibers, that is, the bonding parts are intermittently distributed. The first arrangement of bonding parts is distributed at the position AA, and the second arrangement of bonding parts is distributed at the position BB. Figure 1 The length of the bonding resin is 5 to 20 mm, and the spacing between the resins is 50 to 100 mm.

[0045] The bonding part may also be intermittently distributed in the axial direction and continuously distributed along the optical fiber arrangement direction, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0046] The light-curable resin used to make the bonding part is preferably a UV-curable resin, which includes an oligomer, a reactive monomer diluent, a photoinitiator and an auxiliary agent to meet the above requirements;

[0047] It contains 25-70 parts by weight of oligomer, 30-75 parts of active monomer diluent, 1-10 parts of photoinitiator and 1-10 parts of auxiliary agent; the auxiliary agent includes silane coupling agent; the UV curing resin contains 0.5wt% to 5wt% of silane coupling agent. The silane structure is preferably added to the resin material by cross-linking, or it can be added to the resin in the form of an auxiliary agent, but it may affect the final curing degree and affect the long-term service life of the resin. The auxiliary agent also includes a defoamer, a leveling agent and an antioxidant.

[0048] The oligomer is a composition containing polyurethane acrylate and epoxy acrylate; wherein the polyurethane acrylate is preferably aliphatic polyurethane acrylate and / or aromatic polyurethane acrylate, more preferably selected from a combination of one or more of SARTOMER's CN8000 series, CN9000 series, CN981B88, and CN985B88; the epoxy acrylate is selected from a combination of one or more of SARTOMER's CN104 series epoxy acrylate, Changxing's 621A epoxy acrylate, 6219-100 epoxy methacrylate, and Jiangsu Sanmu's 6105 epoxy acrylate.

[0049] The active monomer diluent is a monofunctional active diluent and / or a multifunctional active diluent; the functional active diluent is preferably β-hydroxyethyl methacrylate; the multifunctional active diluent is preferably selected from 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, trimethylolpropane formal acrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, tricyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, or a combination thereof. Using a monomer containing more functional groups can not only increase the reaction activity, but also give the cured film a cross-linked structure.

[0050] The silane coupling agent is a silane structure organic silicon compound, selected from α-[3-(2'-hydroxyethoxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydimethylsiloxane, α-[3-(2'-hydroxyethoxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydiphenylsiloxane, α-[3-(2',3'-dihydroxypropoxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydimethylsiloxane, α-[3-(2',3'-dihydroxypropoxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydiphenylsiloxane, A combination of one or more of α-[3-(2'-ethyl-2'-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydimethylsiloxane, α-[3-(2'-ethyl-2'-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxy)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydiphenylsiloxane, α-[3-(2'-hydroxy-3'-isopropylamino)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydimethylsiloxane, and α-[3-(2'-hydroxy-3'-isopropylamino)propyl]-ω-trimethylsiloxy polydiphenylsiloxane.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] The structure of this embodiment is similar to that of embodiment 1, the only difference being that the coloring layer of the 12-core optical fiber adopts three primary colors. Each color of optical fiber has four coloring layer shapes, namely:

[0053] Axially continuous and circumferentially continuous full coating;

[0054] Color strips that are continuous in the axial direction and discontinuous in the circumferential direction, such as Figure 5 As shown;

[0055] Axially discontinuous and circumferentially continuous color rings, such as Figure 6 As shown;

[0056] Spots that are axially discontinuous and circumferentially discontinuous, e.g. Figure 7 shown.

[0057] The coloring layer of the 12-core optical fiber uniquely identifies the optical fiber through the arrangement and combination of shape and color. Since fewer colors are used, the difficulty of material development is reduced. The transparent layer adopts a full coating process, which naturally forms and fills the discontinuous parts of the coloring layer, and the appearance remains smooth.

[0058] It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible optical fiber ribbon, characterized in that: The optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are arranged side by side, and a plurality of bonding portions are intermittently distributed axially between adjacent optical fibers, and the plurality of bonding portions are made of the same material; The optical fiber has a colored layer in the second outermost layer and a transparent layer in the outermost layer; The transparent layers of the plurality of optical fibers are made of the same material, and the transparent layers are continuous in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction; The color and / or shape of the colored layer of the optical fiber is observed through the transparent layer, and the color and / or shape of the colored layer of at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of one of the other optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers.

2. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The color and / or shape of the coloring layer of any one of the plurality of optical fibers is different from that of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers, so as to serve as a unique mark of the optical fiber.

3. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coloring layer has a thickness of 1 to 15 μm, a modulus of the coloring layer higher than that of the transparent layer, a shape of the coloring layer that is circumferentially continuous or discontinuous, and a shape of the coloring layer that is axially continuous or discontinuous; and the coloring layer is made of photocurable acrylic ink.

4. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transparent layer has a visible light transmittance of more than 85%.

5. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the transparent layer is between 10 and 100 μm, the modulus of the transparent layer is greater than 50 MPa, the outer contour of the transparent layer is circular, and the material of the transparent layer and the matrix and / or bonding part of the coloring layer are the same resin.

6. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 5, characterized in that: The thickness of the transparent layer is between 10 and 50 μm.

7. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 5, characterized in that: The modulus of the transparent layer is greater than 500 MPa.

8. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the transparent layer is light-curing acrylic resin.

9. The flexible optical fiber ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bonding portion is made of a light-curing resin, and the bonding portion is continuous or discontinuous in the optical fiber arrangement direction.

10. An optical cable, characterized in that: The invention comprises an outer sheath and the flexible optical fiber ribbon according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the flexible optical fiber ribbon is accommodated in the outer sheath.

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