A fiber optic cable

Abstract

This utility model discloses an optical fiber cable, including a cable core and an outer sheath sleeved over the cable core. The cable core includes a data communication unit, a power transmission unit, and a cable core braided layer. The cable core braided layer surrounds the data communication unit and the power transmission unit. The data communication unit includes at least one set of optical units and an inner protective layer. The optical units are located within the inner protective layer, and each set of optical units consists of two optical fibers. The inner protective layer is a spiral steel tube. The optical fiber cable designed in this utility model forms an "elastic armor" by wrapping the optical fiber with a spiral metal tube. When bent axially, stress is released through the spiral gap, and it can withstand the compressive pressure of the tube radially, solving the problem of easy breakage in conventional optical fiber cables. The inner diameter of the spiral steel tube is larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber, forming a "dynamic buffer cavity" that isolates external impact transmission, reduces transmission loss over long distances, and solves the problem of signal attenuation in cable transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of cable development technology, and specifically relates to an optical fiber cable. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of urban underground pipeline inspection technology, pipeline robots equipped with cameras and sensors are increasingly widely used in municipal maintenance. These devices need to simultaneously meet the dual requirements of long-distance communication transmission and mobile power supply. While traditional optical fibers offer advantages such as low loss and high bandwidth, their brittleness and poor bending resistance mean that conventional optical fiber cables cannot effectively resist compression deformation when repeatedly dragged through complex pipeline bends, easily leading to micro-bending loss or even breakage. Furthermore, the continuous bending stress generated by the robot's movement accelerates fiber aging, resulting in signal attenuation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cable that combines high mechanical strength, dynamic flexibility, and integrated power supply and communication to solve these problems.

[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this utility model and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this utility model. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an optical fiber cable.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the technical solution provided by this utility model is as follows: an optical fiber cable, comprising a cable core and an outer sheath sleeved over the cable core. The cable core includes a data communication unit, a power transmission unit, and a cable core braided layer. The cable core braided layer surrounds the data communication unit and the power transmission unit. The data communication unit includes at least one set of optical units and an inner protective layer. The optical units are located within the inner protective layer, and each set of optical units consists of two optical fibers. The inner protective layer is a spiral steel tube. In this solution, the structure of using a spiral steel tube to wrap the optical fibers enhances the cable's mechanical protection and resistance to environmental damage, solving the problem of easy breakage in conventional optical fiber cables. It also slows down the aging rate of the optical fibers and avoids signal attenuation.

[0006] Furthermore, two power transmission units are provided, each power transmission unit being a power transmission line, the power transmission line including a power transmission conductor and a power transmission insulation layer covering the power transmission conductor. In this solution, the power transmission unit is used for power transmission, that is, a power line.

[0007] Furthermore, an inner sheath is provided outside the inner protective layer, and the thickness of the inner sheath is 1~1.2mm. In this solution, the thickness of the inner sheath can be 1mm, 1.1mm or 1.2mm.

[0008] Furthermore, a reinforcing layer is provided between the inner protective layer and the inner sheath. The reinforcing layer is made of bulletproof wire braided with a braiding density of ≥85% and a thickness of 0.6~1.2mm. In this design, the bulletproof wire layer of the braided structure itself has good flexibility, making the optical cable relatively flexible when bending during installation, easy to construct, and not excessively restricting the bending radius of the optical cable.

[0009] Furthermore, a core wrapping layer is provided on the inner side of the braided core layer, and the thickness of the core wrapping layer is 0.3~0.5mm. In this solution, the core wrapping layer can bundle multiple data communication units, power transmission units, etc. together, providing binding force to the loose core, making it form a tight and round whole, which facilitates the subsequent extrusion of the sheath and ensures the roundness of the final cable.

[0010] Furthermore, the cable core braided layer is made of Kevlar yarn, and the yarn used for braiding the cable core braided layer is composed of 6 aramid monofilaments twisted together into 1 strand, with a linear density of 1000 denier. In this design, the yarn composed of 6 aramid monofilaments twisted together into 1 strand ensures the flexibility of the cable core braided layer, while the yarn linear density of 1000 denier ensures the strength of the cable core braided layer.

[0011] Furthermore, the two power transmission lines (B1) of the data communication unit and the power transmission unit are arranged in abutting and tangential configuration. In this scheme, the tangential arrangement is the way to achieve the most compact stacking of circular cross-section objects in the central region. This arrangement minimizes the cross-sectional area of ​​the cable core and significantly reduces the overall outer diameter of the cable, making the cable thinner and easier to handle.

[0012] Furthermore, the power transmission line is composed of multiple tin-plated copper wires twisted together, with 50 to 70 wires and a single wire diameter of 0.08 to 0.12 mm. In this design, compared to a single thick conductor, the conductor composed of multiple thin wires twisted together has excellent flexibility. The thin wire twisted structure is less prone to breakage during repeated bending, improving the cable's service life and reliability.

[0013] Furthermore, the braided layer of the cable core is provided with a filler material, which is Kevlar fiber. In this embodiment, the filler material includes, but is not limited to, Kevlar fiber.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer sheath is made of thermoplastic polyurethane, and the power transmission insulation layer is made of XLPE. In this solution, the material of the outer sheath includes, but is not limited to, thermoplastic polyurethane; the material of the power transmission insulation layer includes, but is not limited to, XLPE.

[0015] Due to the application of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0016] The fiber optic cable designed in this invention features a spiral metal tube wrapped around the optical fiber to form an "elastic armor." When bent axially, stress is released through the spiral gap, and it can withstand the extrusion pressure of the tube radially, thus solving the problem of conventional fiber optic cables being prone to breakage. The inner diameter of the spiral steel tube is larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber, forming a "dynamic buffer cavity" that isolates external impact transmission, reduces transmission loss over long distances, and solves the problem of signal attenuation in cable transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the optical fiber cable of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the data communication unit of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the power transmission unit of this utility model;

[0020] In the above attached figures,

[0021] 1. Cable core; 2. Outer sheath; 3. Cable core braided layer; 4. Cable core wrapping layer; 5. Filler;

[0022] A. Data communication unit; A1. Optical unit; A11. Optical fiber; A2. Inner protective layer; A3. Inner sheath; A4. Reinforcing layer;

[0023] B, Power transmission unit; B1, Power transmission line; B11, Power transmission conductor; B12, Power transmission insulation layer. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0025] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the utility model product is in use. These terms are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component 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 utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "horizontal," "vertical," and "suspended," etc., do not indicate that the component must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" 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 of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0028] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more definite definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Example:

[0030] This embodiment provides an optical fiber cable, see appendix. Figure 1 and attached Figure 2As shown, the cable includes a cable core 1 and an outer sheath 2 that is sleeved outside the cable core 1. The cable core 1 includes a data communication unit A, a power transmission unit B, and a cable core braided layer 3. The cable core braided layer 3 is wrapped around the data communication unit A and the power transmission unit B. The data communication unit A includes at least one set of optical units A1 and an inner protective layer A2. The optical units A1 are located inside the inner protective layer A2. A single set of optical units A1 consists of two optical fibers A11. The inner protective layer A2 is a spiral steel pipe.

[0031] Specifically, spiral steel pipe is a metal structural layer, also known as spiral metal armor, spiral welded steel pipe, or spiral steel strip armor. Spiral steel pipe is typically made by spirally winding and welding stainless steel strips, such as 304 or 316 stainless steel, to form a continuous, flexible, tubular metal shielding layer, which can be used to enhance the mechanical protection of cables. The spiral steel pipe forms a continuous sealed metal tube, also providing excellent all-around electromagnetic shielding performance, isolating external interference and preventing internal signal leakage.

[0032] Specifically, the optical fiber used is G657A2 fiber. While maintaining high compatibility with the mainstream G652.D fiber, it has strong bending resistance. It can maintain extremely low signal loss under harsh bending conditions.

[0033] The use of a spiral steel tube to encase the optical fiber enhances the cable's mechanical protection and resistance to environmental damage, solving the problem of breakage common in conventional optical fiber cables. It also slows down fiber aging and prevents signal attenuation.

[0034] See appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 3 As shown, there are two power transmission units B. Each power transmission unit B is a power transmission line B1. The power transmission line B1 includes a power transmission conductor B11 and a power transmission insulation layer B12 covering the power transmission conductor B11. The power transmission unit is used for power transmission, that is, a power line.

[0035] The two power transmission lines B1 of data communication unit A and power transmission unit B are arranged tangentially to each other. This tangential arrangement, similar to three tangent circles, represents the closest possible packing of circular cross-section objects in the central region. This arrangement minimizes the cross-sectional area of ​​the cable core, significantly reducing the overall outer diameter of the cable, making it thinner and lighter. The three elements support each other, forming a stable "triangle" structure. Each element provides a support point for the other two, greatly improving the mechanical strength of the cable core, especially its resistance to lateral pressure and radial compression. When the cable is stepped on or subjected to pressure during construction or use, it is less prone to deformation or flattening, effectively protecting the internal optical fibers and conductors.

[0036] See appendix Figure 1As shown, an inner sheath A3 is provided outside the inner protective layer A2, and the thickness of the inner sheath is 1~1.2mm. The thickness of the inner sheath can be 1mm, 1.1mm, or 1.2mm. The material of the inner sheath is polyether. Polyether material has good flexibility, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and tear resistance, and can withstand frequent bending or mechanical stress. It is also environmentally friendly and halogen-free. A reinforcing layer A4 is provided between the inner protective layer A2 and the inner sheath A3. The reinforcing layer A4 is woven with bulletproof yarn, and the weaving density of the reinforcing layer A4 is ≥85%. The thickness of the reinforcing layer A4 is 0.6~1.2mm. The thickness of the reinforcing layer can be 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, or 1.2mm. The reinforcing layer employs a bulletproof wire braided structure, forming a "buffer pad" that absorbs and disperses external impacts such as impacts during construction, trampling, small animal bites, falling rocks, and radial compressive pressure. Combined with the internal spiral steel tube, it forms a "rigid-flexible" structure: the steel tube provides strong resistance to lateral pressure and bending, while the outer bulletproof wire braided layer provides tensile and impact resistance, jointly protecting the core optical fiber. The bulletproof wire layer itself has excellent flexibility, allowing the optical cable to remain relatively flexible during bending installations, facilitating construction and avoiding excessive restrictions on the cable's bending radius.

[0037] The inner side of the cable core braided layer 3 is provided with a cable core wrapping layer 4, the thickness of which is 0.3~0.5mm. The thickness of the cable core wrapping layer can be 0.3mm, 0.4mm, or 0.5mm. The cable core wrapping layer can bundle multiple data communication units, power transmission units, etc., together, providing binding force to the loose cable core, making it form a tight, round whole, facilitating subsequent sheath extrusion and ensuring the roundness of the final cable. The cable core wrapping layer uses special wrapping tapes, such as water-blocking tape, mica tape, and fire-resistant tape, for water blocking, fire resistance, and heat insulation.

[0038] The cable core braided layer 3 is made of Kevlar yarn. The yarn used for braiding the cable core braided layer 3 consists of 6 aramid monofilaments twisted together into 1 strand, and the linear density of this strand of yarn is 1000 denier. The yarn consisting of 6 aramid monofilaments twisted together into 1 strand ensures the flexibility of the cable core braided layer, while the linear density of the yarn set at 1000 denier ensures the strength of the cable core braided layer.

[0039] The power transmission line B1 is made of multiple strands of tin-plated copper wires, with 50 to 70 wires and a single wire diameter of 0.08 to 0.12 mm. Compared to a single thick conductor, a conductor made of multiple thin wires has excellent flexibility. The stranded structure is less prone to breakage during repeated bending, improving the cable's service life and reliability. The number of wires can be 50, 64, or 70; the single wire diameter of the tin-plated copper wire can be 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.12 mm.

[0040] The cable core braided layer 3 contains a filler 5, the material of which is Kevlar fiber, but not limited to Kevlar fiber. The outer sheath 2 is made of thermoplastic polyurethane, and the power transmission insulation layer B12 is made of XLPE. The material of the outer sheath includes, but is not limited to, thermoplastic polyurethane; the material of the power transmission insulation layer includes, but is not limited to, XLPE.

[0041] The fiber optic cable designed in this invention features a spiral metal tube wrapped around the optical fiber to form an "elastic armor." When bent axially, stress is released through the spiral gap, and it can withstand the extrusion pressure of the tube radially, thus solving the problem of conventional fiber optic cables being prone to breakage. The inner diameter of the spiral steel tube is larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber, forming a "dynamic buffer cavity" that isolates external impact transmission, reduces transmission loss over long distances, and solves the problem of signal attenuation in cable transmission.

[0042] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it. They cannot be used to limit the protection scope of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be covered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An optical fiber cable, comprising a cable core (1) and an outer sheath (2) sleeved outside the cable core (1), characterized in that: The cable core (1) includes a data communication unit (A), a power transmission unit (B), and a cable core braided layer (3); the cable core braided layer (3) is wrapped around the data communication unit (A) and the power transmission unit (B); The data communication unit (A) includes at least one set of optical units (A1) and an inner protective layer (A2). The optical units (A1) are located inside the inner protective layer (A2). Each set of optical units (A1) consists of two optical fibers (A11). The inner protective layer (A2) is a spiral steel pipe.

2. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two power transmission units (B) are provided, and each power transmission unit (B) is a power transmission line (B1). The power transmission line (B1) includes a power transmission conductor (B11) and a power transmission insulation layer (B12) covering the power transmission conductor (B11).

3. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: An inner sheath (A3) is provided outside the inner protective layer (A2), and the thickness of the inner sheath is 1~1.2mm.

4. The optical fiber cable according to claim 3, characterized in that: A reinforcing layer (A4) is provided between the inner protective layer (A2) and the inner sheath (A3). The reinforcing layer (A4) is made of bulletproof yarn, the weaving density of the reinforcing layer (A4) is ≥85%, and the thickness of the reinforcing layer (A4) is 0.6~1.2mm.

5. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner side of the cable core braided layer (3) is provided with a cable core wrapping layer (4), and the thickness of the cable core wrapping layer (4) is 0.3~0.5mm.

6. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable core braided layer (3) is made of Kevlar yarn. The yarn used for braiding the cable core braided layer (3) is made of 6 aramid monofilaments twisted together into 1 strand, and the linear density of the strand of yarn is 1000 denier.

7. The optical fiber cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two power transmission lines (B1) of the data communication unit (A) and the power transmission unit (B) are arranged in abutting and tangential manner.

8. The optical fiber cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power transmission line (B1) is made of multiple tin-plated copper wires twisted together, with 50 to 70 tin-plated copper wires and a single wire diameter of 0.08 to 0.12 mm.

9. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable core braided layer (3) is provided with a filler (5), and the filler (5) is made of Kevlar.

10. An optical fiber cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer sheath (2) is made of thermoplastic polyurethane, and the power transmission insulation layer (B12) is made of XLPE.

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