Multi-cable

Abstract

Multiple cable (201), which features: an optical waveguide (210) that transmits an optical signal; and a conductor wire layer (220) arranged around the optical waveguide (210), wherein the conductor wire layer (220) is a plurality of sheathed plated fiber bundles (221), and wherein the majority of the sheathed plating fiber bundles (221) are each a bundle of a plurality of plated fibers (222), the bundle is sheathed with a resin, and each of the plurality of plated fibers (222) is plated by a metal onto a tensile fiber, a sheath (230) which is present on an outer circumferential side of the conductor wire layer (220), where the tensile fiber is any aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber, poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole)(PBO) fiber and carbon fiber.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a multiple circuit cable. Background of the technology

[0002] In related technology, a multi-cable is proposed comprising an optical waveguide transmitting an optical signal and a conductor transmitting electrical power or an electrical signal, in which a plurality of circuits (optical waveguides or conductors) are included in a single cable (see patent reference 1). The cable is designed to include an optical waveguide, a sheath covering the outer circumference of the optical waveguide, a metal conductor having a tubular shape in which metal wires, such as soft copper, provided on the sheath, are arranged without gaps between them, and an outer covering that covers these.Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned design, a cable is proposed which includes a tensile element designed by a tensile fiber to relieve a tensile force exerted on an optical waveguide between a sheath of the optical waveguide and the metal conductor (see patent literature 2). State-of-the-art literature, patent literature [Patent literature 1] JP 2010 - 181 600 A [Patent literature 2] JP 2014 - 63 584 A

[0003] Document US 4,822,950 A relates to an electrical assembly for signal transmission comprising a wire or cable conductor core, an electrically insulating sheath surrounding and encasing the core, and a surrounding braided shield consisting of yarns of nickel-plated carbon fibers. Each fiber has a diameter of 5-10 micrometers, and the yarn contains 800 to 12,000 fibers.

[0004] Document US 2011 / 0079410A1 relates to a shielded cable with a core comprising an insulated wire with an inner conductor and an insulating layer formed on the outer circumference of the inner conductor, a shielding layer formed on the outer circumference of the core, and a jacket layer formed on the outer circumference of the shielding layer. The shielding layer comprises a stranded conductor shielding layer with a stranded conductor wound spirally around the core, and the stranded conductor comprises a plurality of interconnected stranded conductors.

[0005] Document WO 2012 / 111 858 A1 relates to a shielded cable comprising at least one conductor; an insulator with which a surface of the at least one conductor is coated, wherein the insulator has a hardness of 10 or more and 90 or less; and a shielding layer arranged on a circumference of the insulator, wherein the shielding layer is formed by braiding plated fibers.

[0006] Document DE 603 ​​16 956 T2 relates to a multi-part cable comprising an adhesive element, a first partial cable, a second partial cable and a third partial cable, wherein the adhesive element is positioned in contact with the first partial cable, the second partial cable and the third partial cable in such a way that all partial cables adhere to the adhesive element and can be detached from it by the adhesive element without damage.

[0007] Document JP 2010-181600A concerns a connection structure between an optical-electrical composite cable and a conductive crimp sleeve. The connection structure comprises a sleeve, which acts as a sealing element, and a cylindrical section designed as the connecting segment of a wire end ferrule. The cylindrical section has a thickness essentially equal to that of a sheath and acts as a level-separating element, resolving any level difference between the metal conductor of the optical-electrical composite cable and the sheath. Overview of the invention Technical problem

[0008] In a cable described in patent literature 1, a metal wire, for example made of soft copper, is used as the conductor. Here, the diameter of the metal wire is limited to approximately 50 µm, considering the effort involved in mass production. That is, in the cable described in patent literature 1, a layer of the metal conductor has a thickness of a certain order of magnitude, and consequently, its diameter is also of a certain order of magnitude. Therefore, a method for forming, for example, a thin outer sheath is employed to reduce the diameter of the cable.

[0009] However, in a case where the outer sheath is designed to reduce its thickness, an abrasiveness problem arises. That is, in a case where a multi-core cable is used in a location subject to vibrations or the like, problems arise because the outer sheath is gradually worn away due to the vibrations or the like, reducing the service life of the multi-core cable with a thin outer sheath, and so on. Specifically, the cable described in patent literature 1 incorporates a rigid transmission element, referred to as an optical waveguide, within it. Consequently, when an external force is applied to the cable, the external force is exerted on the rigid optical waveguide, and its outer sheath is easily worn away.

[0010] In this way, it is difficult to achieve both a reduction in diameter and an increase in abrasion resistance for a multi-strand cable.

[0011] Furthermore, in the case of a cable described in patent literature 2, a connection operation must be performed for each of three layers, and this significantly complicates the connection operation. That is, it is necessary to perform three connection operations: 1) a connection operation of an optical fiber, 2) an operation to maintain the tension of a pull element (an operation to attach it to a target object after it has been pulled to a certain degree), and 3) a connection operation of a conductor wire, and consequently, the operation is significantly complicated.

[0012] In particular, the machining of the tensile element becomes considerably more difficult. Specifically, in cases where machining of the tensile element is performed, a process for cutting a tensile fiber with a cutting blade is required. However, cutting the tensile fiber with a standard cutting blade is difficult, and the cutting process itself is complicated. Furthermore, if the tensile fiber is formed by bundling a specific number of fibers, a cutting operation or a process to maintain the tension must be performed, and the bundling process itself is also complicated.

[0013] Furthermore, the cable described in patent literature 2 uses thin conductor wires arranged around an optical fiber, and consequently, a process is performed to pull out the conductor wires one after the other to connect them to a specific target. As a result, if a weight is applied to a thin conductor wire, there is a high probability that the wire will be cut.

[0014] The present invention is intended to solve problems of related technology, and one of its objectives is to provide a multi-core cable in which the diameter can be reduced and abrasion resistance increased. Furthermore, another objective is to provide a multi-core cable in which the complexity of connection processing can be reduced and the probability of a conductor wire being cut is decreased. Solution to the problem

[0015] The above problem is solved by a multi-cable according to claim 1. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multi-strand cable in which the diameter can be reduced and abrasion resistance increased. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a multi-strand cable that reduces the cable diameter, decreases the complexity of connection processing, and reduces the probability of a conductor wire being cut. Short description of the drawings [ Fig. 1] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cable harness that includes a multi-cable according to a first embodiment which is not part of the present invention. [ Fig. 2] Fig.2 is a perspective view showing details of the Fig. 1 illustrated multi-cable. [ Fig. 3] Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a multi-cable system according to a comparative example. [ Fig. 4] Fig. Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating a state in which an external force is exerted on the multi-cable according to the first embodiment and the comparative example. Fig. 4(a) illustrates a sectional view of the multi-cable according to the first embodiment, and Fig. Figure 4(b) illustrates a sectional view of the multi-cable according to the comparative example. [ Fig. 5] Fig. Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a multi-cable according to a modification example of the first embodiment. [ Fig. 6] Fig.Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating a photoelectric composite cable according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [ Fig. 7] Fig. Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating an example of a photoelectric composite cable according to a comparative example. Description of embodiments

[0017] Preferred embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. (First embodiment, which is not part of the invention)

[0018] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cable harness that includes a multi-cable according to a first embodiment. As in Fig.As illustrated in Figure 1, the cable harness WH according to the present embodiment is formed by a multi-cable 1, which contains a plurality of cables H in a bundle and is described in detail below, and by other cables H arranged parallel to each other so that they adjoin the multi-cable 1. For example, the cable harness WH can include connectors C at both ends of the cables H, as shown in Figure 1. Fig. Figure 1 illustrates the wiring harness and can be wrapped with a (not illustrated) band in such a way that the majority of cables H are joined together. Furthermore, the wiring harness WH can include an (not illustrated) outer component such as a corrugated hose.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing details of the Fig.The multi-core cable 1 illustrated in the present figure is designed to include an inner transmission body 10, an inner insulator 20 covering an outer circumference of the inner transmission body 10, an outer transmission body 30 arranged on the outside of the inner insulator 20, and an outer insulator 40 covering the outer circumference of the outer transmission body 30.

[0020] The inner transmission element 10 transmits a first signal or power and is, for example, made of a soft copper wire. Alternatively, the inner transmission element 10 can be made of an optical fiber, in which case it serves as an element that transmits an optical signal (a first signal).

[0021] The outer transmission body 30 transmits a second signal or power and is designed by a plurality of conductive fibers 31 with a conductivity of [conductivity value missing in original text]. It is recommended that the conductive fiber 31 be a conductive fiber with a conductivity of [conductivity value missing in original text] such as a carbon fiber or a resin fiber containing a metal filler. Furthermore, the conductive fiber 31 can be a polyester fiber, a nylon fiber (registered trademark), an aramid fiber, a polyarylate fiber, a poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber, or a clad fiber produced by clad a metal onto a carbon fiber.

[0022] In particular, a tensile fiber such as aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber, PBO fiber, or carbon fiber is heat-resistant, has a tensile strength greater than or equal to 1 GPa, and a modulus of elasticity greater than or equal to 50 GPa. Consequently, the conductive fiber 31 is preferably any of these fibers, onto which a metal is plated. The metal to be plated is preferably one or more metals from copper, tin, nickel, gold, and silver, since the metal is easy to plate and has high conductivity.

[0023] Furthermore, the diameter of the conductive fiber 31 is preferably greater than or equal to 5 µm and less than or equal to 30 µm. This is because if the fiber diameter is less than 5 µm, the conductive fiber 31 is too thin and therefore easily cut. Conversely, if the fiber diameter is greater than 30 µm, the conductive fiber 31 is too thick, making it difficult to achieve the effects described below.

[0024] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the external insulator 40 has a hardness greater than or equal to 10 and less than or equal to 90. This hardness is measured using a JISK6253 Type A (Shore-A) hardness tester. Specifically, the external insulator 40 is made of one or more of the following materials: silicone rubber, fluorocarbon resin, ethylene propylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

[0025] Next, the modes of operation or the like of the multi-cable 1 according to the present embodiment will be described; however, a multi-cable 100 according to a comparative example will be described beforehand. Fig.Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the multi-cable according to the comparison example.

[0026] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 3, the multi-core cable 100 according to the comparative example includes an optical fiber 110, which is an innermost layer, and an inner insulator 120 surrounding it. Furthermore, the multi-core cable 100 according to the comparative example includes a tubular metal conductor 130, in which a plurality of metal wires 131 made of soft copper are laid without gaps on the outer circumferential side of the inner insulator 120, and an outer insulator 140 arranged on the outside of the metal conductor 130.

[0027] Fig. Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating a state in which an external force is exerted on the multiple cables 1 and 100 according to the present embodiment and the comparative example. Fig. Figure 4(a) illustrates a sectional view of the multi-cable 1 according to the present embodiment, and Fig. Figure 4(b) illustrates a sectional view of the multi-cable 100 according to the comparative example.

[0028] As in Fig.As illustrated in Figure 4(b), an external force F is first applied to the multi-core cable 100 according to the present embodiment. Here, the metal conductor 130 has a tubular shape in which a plurality of metal wires 131 are laid without gaps between them. For this reason, there is no gap in which the metal wires 131 are displaced by the external force F, and the metal wires 131 themselves are difficult to deform due to a certain hardness. In particular, the multi-core cable 100 according to the comparative example includes a hard transmission element, such as the optical fiber 110, inside it, and therefore, in a case where the external force F is applied to the multi-core cable 100, the hard optical fiber 110 absorbs the external force F. As a result, the outer insulator 140 is slightly scraped.

[0029] Meanwhile, as in Fig.Figure 4(a) illustrates how the external force F is exerted on the multi-strand cable 1 according to the present embodiment. Since the outer transmission body 30 is formed by the plurality of conductive fibers 31, the shape of the conductive fiber 31 itself changes such that the conductive fiber is compressed, and the conductive fiber 31 shifts so that it is positioned between other conductive fibers 31. Furthermore, since the hardness of the outer insulator 40 is less than or equal to 90, the outer insulator is not very hard and is therefore suitably deformed. This allows the multi-strand cable 1 itself to have a flat shape. That is, the shapes of the multi-strand cable 1 change such that the external force F is dissipated, the outer insulator 40 is difficult to scrape, and its abrasiveness is better than that of the comparative example.

[0030] Table 1 illustrates the results of an abrasion test on the multi-cable 1 and 100 according to the present embodiment and the comparative example. Table 1 Comparison example Present embodiment external insulating material PVC (Shore A hardness 54) Thickness of the outer insulator 0.2 mm 0.2 mm Abrasion frequency 450 515

[0031] As illustrated in Table 1, the external insulators 40 and 140 use polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the hardness of which was 54 in both the present embodiment and the comparative example. Furthermore, the thickness of the external insulators 40 and 140 was 0.2 mm in both the present embodiment and the comparative example.

[0032] The abrasion of the multi-cable 1 and 100 according to both the present embodiment and the comparative example was tested using the ISO 6722 standard for abrasion by scraping. In the test, a needle was moved back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the multi-cable 1 and 100 in a position where the needle, with a diameter of 0.45 mm, crossed the multi-cable 1 and 100 and a force of seven newtons was applied to the needle. The cross-sectional area occupied by the internal components (the inner transmission body 10, the inner insulators 20 and 120, the outer transmission body 30, the optical fiber 110, and the metal conductor 130) of the outer insulators 40 and 140 was 0.35 mm². 2 .

[0033] The wear frequency illustrated in Table 1 indicates the number of back-and-forth movements of the needle until the needle comes into contact with the outer transmission body 30 or the metal conductor 130. As illustrated in Table 1, the wear frequency of the multi-cable 1 according to the present embodiment was 515, and the wear frequency of the multi-cable 100 according to the comparative example was 450. That is, it can be seen that the wear frequency of the multi-cable 1 according to the present embodiment is increased by about 15% compared to that of the multi-cable 100 according to the comparative example.

[0034] In this way, according to the multi-cable 1 of the present embodiment, the outer transmission body 30 is designed by the plurality of conductive fibers 31 with a conductivity, and as a result, its thickness can be reduced compared with a case in which the outer transmission body is designed by the metal wires 131 without using the metal wire 131 with a large diameter.Since the outer insulator 40 has a hardness greater than or equal to 10 and less than or equal to 90, and the outer transmission body 30 is formed by the conductive fiber 31, in an environment where the external force F is exerted on the outer insulator 40, causing abrasion, the conductive fiber 31 is further displaced by the external force F so that it is positioned between other conductive fibers 31. The outer insulator 40 itself is deformed in a suitable manner, resulting in the multi-core cable 1 having a flat shape. That is, the shape changes in such a way that the external force F is dissipated, and the outer insulator 40 is therefore subject to minimal wear. Consequently, it is possible to provide the multi-core cable 1 with a reduced diameter and increased abrasion resistance.

[0035] Since the outer insulator 40 has a hardness greater than or equal to 10, it is possible to prevent a situation where the outer insulator 40 is too soft and therefore prone to wear. Since the outer insulator has a hardness less than or equal to 90, it is possible to prevent a situation where the outer insulator is too hard and therefore difficult to flatten.

[0036] Furthermore, since the conductive fiber 31 is a clad fiber in which a metal is cladding onto the fiber, the conductive fiber can be used in a circuit whose conductivity is insufficient with a carbon fiber or the like by adjusting the thickness of the cladding metal itself.

[0037] Since the conductive fiber 31 is designed by plating one or more metals such as copper, tin, nickel, gold and silver onto a fiber, it is also possible to provide the conductive fiber 31 which is easy to plate with a metal and has high conductivity.

[0038] Furthermore, the fiber is preferably any aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber, PBO fiber, or carbon fiber. Since the fiber is heat-resistant, it is possible to connect the conductive fiber 31 to a terminal using solder. Since the fiber has a tensile strength greater than or equal to 1 GPa and a modulus of elasticity greater than or equal to 50 GPa, stress relief in the fiber is unlikely to occur when the terminal is attached by pressing it onto the conductive fiber 31. Therefore, when the terminal is connected, it is possible to prevent any deterioration in the product's performance.

[0039] Since the conductive fiber 31 has a diameter greater than or equal to 5 µm, it is also possible to prevent a situation where the conductive fiber 31 is too thin and therefore easily cut. Furthermore, since the conductive fiber 31 has a diameter less than or equal to 30 µm, it is also possible to prevent a situation where the conductive fiber 31 is too thick to be difficult to place between other conductive fibers 31 and the multi-cable 1 is difficult to flatten.

[0040] Since the inner transmission body 10 is an optical waveguide that transmits an optical signal, it is also possible to provide the multi-cable 1 in which a hard optical waveguide absorbs the external force F from outside the cable, and in a situation where the outermost insulator 40 is scraped, a form of it is deformed so that the external force F is dissipated, and the outermost insulator 40 can be difficult to wear down.

[0041] Since, according to the wiring harness WH of the present embodiment, the multi-cable 1 and other cables H, which are arranged in parallel so that they adjoin the multi-cable 1, are included, it is also possible to provide the wiring harness WH in which the adjacent cables H are pressed against the multi-cable 1 or the multi-cable 1 is pressed against the adjacent cables H, and in this way, even in an environment in which the multi-cable 1 or the other cables H are subject to wear, the multi-cable 1 is flattened, and thus the multi-cable 1 or the other cables H are not subjected to wear.

[0042] As described above, the present invention is described on the basis of the first embodiment; however, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment mentioned above, and a modification thereof may be made within a range that does not deviate from the core of the present invention.

[0043] For example, the multi-cable 1 according to the first embodiment is not limited to the description that refers to Fig. 2, and various modifications can be made. For example, the inner transmission body 10 is not limited to a single transmission body, and there can be multiple transmission bodies.

[0044] Furthermore, the multi-cable 1 is not limited to a design containing two circuits and can have a design containing three or more circuits. An example containing three circuits is given in Fig. 5 illustrates. Fig. Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a multi-cable configuration according to a modification example of the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 5, the multi-cable 1 according to the modification example includes a central transmission body 50 and a central insulator 60 in addition to those of the present embodiment. The central transmission body 50 has the same design as the outer transmission body 30. The central insulator 60 also has the same design as the outer insulator 40.

[0045] By such a design, for example, the middle transmission body 50 is used as a positive power supply path, and the outer transmission body 30 is used as a negative power supply path, and thus a set of the multi-cable 1 can supply power to a machine. (Second embodiment according to the present invention)

[0046] Fig.Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating a photoelectric composite cable according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the photoelectric composite cable is a multi-strand cable. The photoelectric composite cable 201 illustrated in the present figure comprises an optical fiber 210, a conductor wire layer 220 provided on an outer circumferential side of the optical fiber 210, and a sheath 230 provided on an outer circumferential side of the conductor wire layer 220.

[0047] The optical fiber 210 is designed with a core 210A, a cladding 210B, and a jacket 210C. The core 210A is a transmission path through which an optical signal is transmitted. The cladding 210B is arranged around the core 210A. The refractive index of the cladding is lower than that of the core 210A, and the cladding serves as a section that limits the optical signal to the core 210A. The jacket 210C is a section that covers the cladding.

[0048] The conductor wire layer 220 is formed by arranging a plurality of sheathed plated fiber bundles 221 around the optical waveguide 210.

[0049] Here, the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221 is formed by a plurality of clad fibers 222 and a resin 223 that encases a bundle of a plurality of clad fibers 222. The clad fiber 222 is formed by clad a metal onto a tensile fiber. In the present embodiment, the tensile fiber is formed by any aramid fiber, a polyarylate fiber, a poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber, and a carbon fiber, and the cladding metal is formed by one or more metals such as copper, tin, nickel, gold, and silver. Furthermore, the resin 223 is formed by an insulating thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0050] The sheathed plated fiber bundle 221 has a conducting wire function for transmitting electrical power and a conducting wire function for transmitting an electrical signal and is connected to a connection target according to each purpose.

[0051] The sheath 230 holds and protects the optical fiber 210 and the conductor layer 220. A tape winding layer, a shielding layer, or the like may be provided between the conductor layer 220 and the sheath 230 in a suitable manner, although these are not illustrated.

[0052] It is generally known that a tensile element is included around the optical waveguide 210 and that the tensile element is formed by a tensile fiber. That is, in the present embodiment, the tensile fiber has conductivity due to the plating of a metal onto the tensile fiber, and the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221 is formed by bundling a plurality of plated fibers 222, and thus the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221 can be replaced by a conducting wire, which is described in patent literature 1.

[0053] Next, the mode of operation of the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the present embodiment will be described; however, a photoelectric composite cable 300 will first be described according to a comparative example. Fig. Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating an example of the photoelectric composite cable according to the comparison example.

[0054] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 7, the photoelectric composite cable 300, according to the comparative example, includes an optical waveguide 310 as the innermost layer and includes a tensile element 320, which is formed by a tensile fiber around it. Furthermore, the photoelectric composite cable 300, according to the comparative example, includes a plurality of conductor wires 330 on the outer circumferential side of the tensile element 320 and includes a sheath 340 on the outside of the plurality of conductor wires 330.

[0055] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 7, the photoelectric composite cable 300, according to the comparative example, has a structure that essentially comprises three layers: the optical waveguide 310, the tension element 320, and the conductor wire 330. For this reason, the diameter of the photoelectric composite cable 300 is increased by overlapping the three layers.

[0056] Since the photoelectric composite cable 300, according to the comparative example, has a three-layer structure, connection processing is required for each of the three layers. This means that 1) connection processing of the optical fiber 310, 2) processing to maintain the tension of the tension element 320, and 3) connection processing of a conductor wire 330 are required, and the connection processing is considerably more difficult.

[0057] In contrast, the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the present embodiment has a structure comprising two layers, the optical waveguide 210 and the conductor wire layer 220, as shown in Fig. Figure 6 illustrates this. Consequently, by overlapping the two layers, the diameter of a cable can be smaller than the diameter of the photoelectric composite cable 300 according to the comparative example.

[0058] Furthermore, during connection processing, only 1) connection processing of the optical fiber 210 and 2) connection processing of the cladding fiber bundle 221 of the conductor wire layer 220 can be performed, thus simplifying the connection processing. That is, an electrical connection is made by connecting the cladding fiber bundle 221 to a predetermined target, thereby simultaneously performing processing to maintain tension and simplifying the connection processing.

[0059] Since the photoelectric composite cable 300, according to the comparative example, includes the tensile element 320, which is simply formed by a tensile fiber, a cutting operation or a maintenance of tension is also performed during the connection process after a certain number of tensile fibers have been bundled. For this reason, the bundling process itself is complicated, and furthermore, it is difficult to cut the tensile fiber with a normal cutting blade, and the cutting process is also complicated.

[0060] In contrast, the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the present embodiment includes the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221, which is sheathed with a resin after a plurality of the plated fibers 222 have been bundled. Consequently, a process for bundling a plurality of the plated fibers 222 is not required, and the plated fibers are covered with a sheath. Accordingly, a normal cutting blade easily digs into the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221, and the sheathed plated fiber bundle is thereby easily cut.

[0061] Furthermore, in the photoelectric composite cable 300 according to the comparative example, the conductor wires 330 arranged around the optical fiber 310 must be thinned in order to be inserted, and consequently, a process is carried out to pull out the conductor wires 330 one after the other in order to connect them to a specific target. As a result, if a weight acts on a thin conductor wire 330, there is a high probability that the conductor wire will be cut.

[0062] In contrast, in the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the present embodiment, the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221 shapes each conductor wire, and consequently a process of pulling out the conductor wires one after the other and connecting them to a specific target is carried out, however, each conductor wire is shaped by bundling a plurality of the plated fibers 222 based on the tensile fiber, and consequently, even if a weight acts on a conductor wire, the probability of the conductor wire being cut is reduced.

[0063] As described above, in the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the present embodiment, the clad fiber 222 is generally designed by providing conductivity for the tensile fiber arranged around the optical waveguide 210. The sheathed clad fiber bundle 221 is designed by bundling a plurality of the clad fibers, and thus the sheathed clad fiber bundle 221 can be replaced by the conductor wire described in patent literature 1. Accordingly, the photoelectric composite cable 201 is provided which can simultaneously achieve the aforementioned effects or the like.

[0064] In this way, according to the photoelectric composite cable 201 of the present embodiment, the conductor wire layer 220 is configured by arranging a plurality of sheathed plated fiber bundles 221, which are sheathed with the resin 223, by bundling a plurality of plated fibers 222, in which a metal is plated onto a tensile fiber, around the optical waveguide 210. For this reason, the sheathed plated fiber bundle 221, which has functions of both the tensile element and the conductor wire, is arranged around the optical waveguide 210. This allows the photoelectric composite cable 201 to have a two-layer structure consisting of the optical waveguide 210 and the conductor wire layer 220, and the cable diameter can be reduced.

[0065] Since the photoelectric composite cable 201 has a two-layer structure, termination machining can be performed on only two layers, thus reducing complexity. Specifically, because the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221 is formed by bundling a plurality of the cladding fibers 222 and sheathing them with the resin 223, a bundling operation for the plurality of the cladding fibers 222 is not required, and the cladding fibers are already encased in the resin 223. Accordingly, a standard cutting blade easily bites into the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221, thus easily cutting the sheathed cladding fiber bundle. Consequently, the complexity of termination machining of a tensile element is also reduced.

[0066] Since the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221 shapes each conductor wire, a process is also carried out to pull out the conductor wires one after the other and connect them to a specific target; however, each conductor wire is shaped by bundling a plurality of the cladding fibers 222 based on the tensile fiber, and consequently, even if a weight acts on a conductor wire, the probability of the conductor wire being cut is reduced.

[0067] As described above, the diameter of the cable is reduced, the complexity of the connection processing is reduced, and the probability of the conductor wire being cut can be reduced.

[0068] Since the plated fiber 222 is plated by one or more metals of copper, tin, nickel, gold and silver, it is also possible to obtain the plated fiber 222 which has a relatively high conductivity and is plated by a metal whose plating process is easy to carry out.

[0069] Furthermore, the tensile fiber can be any aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber, PBO fiber, or carbon fiber. Since the fiber is heat-resistant, it can be used to solder the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221 to a connector. Because the fiber has a tensile strength greater than or equal to 1 GPa and a modulus of elasticity greater than or equal to 50 GPa, stress relief in the tensile fiber is unlikely to occur when the sheathed cladding fiber bundle 221 is pressed onto a connector. Therefore, when the connector is joined, it is possible to prevent any deterioration in the product's performance.

[0070] Since a majority of the plated fibers are extruded and coated with a thermoplastic resin, adhesion between the resin and the plated fiber can be controlled, and machining of a connection to remove the coating can be easily carried out.

[0071] In particular, JP 2013-140 290 A discloses a technique for coating a tensile element with a UV-curing resin. However, when the tensile element is coated with the UV-curing resin, the adhesion between the fiber and the resin is too strong, and consequently, the coated material is difficult to remove. Coating an element with a thermoplastic resin, however, avoids the problem of the coated material being difficult to remove, as described above.

[0072] The present invention is described as such on the basis of the second embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment mentioned above, and a modification of this embodiment may be made within a range that does not deviate from the core of the present invention.

[0073] For example, the photoelectric composite cable 201 according to the second embodiment is not limited to the description that refers to Fig. 6 is performed, and various modifications can be made. For example, the optical fiber 210 is not limited to one part, and there can be several.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the tensile fiber can be any aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber and PBO fiber, but it is not limited to these, and it can be a polyester fiber or a nylon fiber (registered trademark). Industrial applicability

[0075] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multi-core cable in which the diameter can be reduced and abrasion resistance increased. Furthermore, the invention enables the provision of a multi-core cable that reduces the cable diameter, simplifies connection processing, and decreases the likelihood of a conductor being cut. The present invention, which achieves these effects, is advantageous for a multi-core cable. List of reference symbols 1 multi-cable 10 internal transmission body 20 internal insulator 30 external transmission body 31 conductive fibers 40 external insulator 50 medium transmission body 60 medium insulator 201 photoelectric composite cable 210 optical fibers 210A core 210B case 210C sheathing 220 conductor wire layer 221 sheathed plating fiber bundle 222 plated fiber 223 Harz 230 coat C connector F external force H cable WH wiring harness

Claims

[1] Multiple cable (201) comprising: an optical fiber (210) transmitting an optical signal; and a conductive wire layer (220) arranged around the optical waveguide (210), wherein the conductive wire layer (220) is a plurality of coated cladding fiber bundles (221), and wherein the plurality of coated cladding fiber bundles (221) are each a bundle of a plurality of plated fibers (222), the bundle is coated with a resin, and each of the plurality of plated fibers (222) is plated by a metal onto a tensile fiber, a sheath (230) provided on an outer peripheral side of the conductive wire layer (220), wherein the tensile fiber is any one of an aramid fiber, a polyarylate fiber, a poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber, and a carbon fiber.

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