Optical cable

Abstract

An indoor optical communication cable comprising an outer sheath, a main optical fiber and at least two reinforcement elements, wherein the main optical fiber and the two reinforcement elements are all arranged within the outer cladding and the main optical fiber and the two reinforcement elements have the same direction of extension; and the at least two gain elements are spaced apart on an outer circumference of the main optical fiber and at least one gain element is an auxiliary optical fiber; wherein the outer shell is made of transparent materials; wherein the indoor optical communication cable further comprises an adhesive layer and an anti-adhesive layer; and the adhesive layer is arranged on at least a part of a surface of the outer shell and the anti-adhesive layer is adhered to a surface of the adhesive layer.

Description

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110665310.5 filed with the Chinese National Government Agency on Jun. 16, 2021 and entitled "OPTICAL CABLE", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELDEmbodiments of this application relate to the field of drop cable technologies and, more particularly, to an optical cable.BACKGROUNDIn recent years, some high-end users have placed higher demands on home networking, and the demands on all home optical networks are becoming more and more stringent. Fiber to the Room (for short: Fiber to the Room, FTTR) becomes a new market chance. In an FTTR solution, an optical network unit (ONU for short) is connected to a home user's optical network terminal (ONT for short) to implement Fiber to the Room. The main ONT is connected by an optical cable to an information field (which is a Miniaturized Optical Line Terminal (OLT)) in each room to ensure that each room has a stable network point, thereby forming a complete all-optical home networking scenario.In a conventional technology, an optical cable laid to each room includes a central optical fiber, a reinforcing member, and a protective sheath. The central optical fiber and the reinforcing member are disposed in the protective case, so that the central optical fiber and the reinforcing member are hidden and protected by the protective case. This avoids exposure of the central optical fiber and the reinforcing member to an external environment and extends lives of the central optical fiber and the reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is configured to improve tensile strength of the optical cable to prevent the central optical fiber from being damaged by an external force.However, when a central optical fiber in a conventional optical cable is damaged and fails, the entire optical cable needs to be replaced. This consumes time and labor and increases maintenance costs.SUMMARYEmbodiments of this application provide an optical cable to solve a problem that after a single-core optical fiber in a conventional optical cable is damaged, the entire optical cable needs to be replaced, resulting in time, labor, and cost-intensive maintenance.An embodiment of this application provides an optical cable that includes an outer sheath, a main optical fiber, and at least two gain elements.The main optical fiber and the amplifying elements are all disposed inside the outer cladding, and the main optical fiber and the amplifying elements have a same extending direction.At least two amplifying elements are spaced on an outer periphery of the main optical fiber, and at least one of the amplifying elements is an auxiliary optical fiber.According to the optical cable provided in embodiments of this application, at least one amplifying element is disposed on one side of the main optical fiber as an auxiliary optical fiber. In this way, the auxiliary optical fiber serving as the reinforcing member can improve a tensile loadability of the entire optical cable to protect the main optical fiber from damage by an external force. In addition, the auxiliary optical fiber may also be configured to transmit an optical signal. After the main optical fiber is damaged without replacing the entire optical cable, fusion splicing and the like can be performed directly on the auxiliary optical fiber. The auxiliary optical fiber is used for signal transmission. This not only ensures the normal use of the optical cable, but also facilitates the maintenance of the optical cable and reduces the maintenance cost.In an optional implementation, at least two amplifying elements are respectively disposed on each of two sides of the main optical fiber along a first radial direction, and each amplifying element is an auxiliary optical fiber.According to an embodiment of this application, at least two reinforcing members are respectively disposed on each of two sides of the main optical fiber along the first radial direction to further improve a tensile strength of the optical cable. In addition, each amplifying element is arranged as an auxiliary optical fiber, so that after the main optical fiber is damaged, each auxiliary optical fiber can be used for optical signal transmission, facilitating maintenance of the optical cable. In addition, two auxiliary optical fibers located on a same side of the main optical fiber may collectively serve as a dual core optical fiber, and are each configured to transmit and receive optical signals to improve the reliability of signal transmission of the optical cable.In an optional implementation, a plurality of gain elements located on a same side of the main optical fiber are arranged along a first direction.An angle is present between the first direction and the first radial direction.Since the main optical fiber and the amplifying elements located on two sides of the main optical fiber occupy specific space in the first radial direction, the plurality of amplifying elements located on the same side of the main optical fiber are arranged along the first direction which is at a specific angle to the first radial direction, in order to save space occupied by the plurality of amplifying elements located on the same side of the main optical fiber in the first radial direction. In this way, a structure of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application is more compact, and further, space occupied by laying the optical cable is saved, so that the cable is better adapted for use in an indoor communication scenario and is also more convenient to install.In an optional implementation, the first direction and the first radial direction are perpendicular to each other to further save the space occupied by the gain elements in the optical cable along the first radial direction. This reduces a size of the optical cable in the first radial direction and further improves the structural compactness of the optical cable.In an optional implementation, the optical cable further includes a dense ferrule and the dense ferrule wraps around an outer surface of the main optical fiber.The outer shell and the dense sleeve are both made of transparent materials, and the materials for making the outer shell and the dense sleeve both include one or more of polyvinyl chloride, nylon, and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber.According to an embodiment of this application, the tight sleeve envelopes the main optical fiber to improve the rigidity of the main optical fiber and ensure that the main optical fiber is not bent and damaged during transport and installation. Moreover, the outer sheath and the dense sleeve are both made of transparent materials to improve the transparency of the entire optical cable, so that the optical cable in this embodiment of this application can be better adapted to various home decoration styles. Moreover, the outer shell and the dense shell are made of the above fire retardant materials to ensure the fire safety performance of the outer shell in interiors while implementing a transparent concealing effect.In an optional implementation, the optical cable further includes an adhesive layer and an anti-adhesive layer.The adhesive layer is disposed on at least a part of a surface of the outer shell, and the anti-adhesive layer is adhered to a surface of the adhesive layer.According to an embodiment of this application, the adhesive layer is arranged on at least a part of the surface of the outer shell and the anti-adhesive layer is arranged on the surface of the adhesive layer. In this way, when the optical cable is laid, the optical cable can be quickly stably adhered to a wall directly through the adhesive layer after the anti-adhesive layer is torn off, thereby improving the efficiency of laying the optical cable in this embodiment of this application.In an optional implementation, at least a portion of an outer surface of the outer shell is configured as a surface and the adhesive layer is disposed on the surface.According to an embodiment of this application, at least a part of the outer surface of the outer shell is arranged as a surface to help stably attach the adhesive layer to the surface of the outer shell and also to allow the outer shell to be stably attached to a wall through the horizontal adhesive layer.In an optional implementation, the adhesive layer is a transparent double-sided tape, and the transparent double-sided tape and the outer shell are integrally formed as an integral part. This improves the manufacturing efficiency of the optical cable and facilitates the attachment and adhesion of the optical cable, thereby improving the efficiency of laying the optical cable. Moreover, the transparent double-sided tape further improves transparency of the optical cable, so that the optical cable is better adapted to various home decoration styles.In an optional implementation, a first groove and a second groove are formed on the outer shell. The first groove and the second groove are provided from one end of the outer shell to the other end along the extending direction.The first groove is disposed in a second radial direction of the main optical fiber, and the second groove is disposed in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber.The first radial direction and the second radial direction are perpendicular to each other.According to an embodiment of this application, the first groove is arranged on the outer cladding and the first groove is arranged in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber. In this way, when the main optical fiber needs to be connected, the outer cladding can be torn at the groove on the outer cladding to quickly expose the main optical fiber and further connect the main optical fiber to an information field and the like. In addition, the optical cable can also be quickly divided into a left part and a right part. In this way, an end portion of any auxiliary optical fiber is exposed on two sides of the main optical fiber and is fusion-spliced or connected to an FMC connector. This further improves the maintenance efficiency of the optical cable. In addition, the second groove is disposed at a position on the outer cladding along the first radial direction of the main optical fiber. In this way, after the main optical fiber inside the outer cladding is damaged, the outer cladding can be quickly torn from the second groove to quickly expose the auxiliary optical fiber and perform fusion splicing and the like on the auxiliary optical fiber. This further improves the maintenance efficiency of the optical cable.In an optional implementation, a width of the outer cladding in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber ranges from 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm. A height of the outer cladding in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber ranges from 1.2 mm to 1.9 mm. The first radial direction and the second radial direction are perpendicular to each other.By setting the width of the outer shell in the first radial direction and the width of the outer shell in the second radial direction within the protruding ranges, a size occupied by laying the optical cable is reduced to better adapt the optical cable for use in an internal communication scenario. For example, the optical cable may enter each room through a door gap, which facilitates internal cross room installation, thereby reducing the deployment time and cost of the optical cable.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 2 is a radial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 4 is a radial cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 ; FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of still another structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of still another structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application; and FIG. 7 is a radial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6.Reference Number:100 Outer cladding; 110 First groove; 120 Second groove; 200 Main optical fiber; 300 Reinforcing member; 400 Dense cladding; 500 Adhesive layer; and 600 Anti-adhesive layer.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSThe terms used in embodiments of this application are used only to explain specific embodiments of this application, but are not intended to limit this application.Currently, an optical cable laid between an optical main modem, i.e., an ONT, in a home and an information field, i.e., an OLT, in each room is configured to transmit an optical signal between the optical main modem and the information field so that an optical network unit located upstream of the optical main modem goes deep into the home. This ensures that each space has a stable network point to implement a Fiber to the Room (FTTR) solution.Generally, a central optical fiber and an amplifying element are disposed within an optical cable connecting a main optical modem to an information field in each space, and the amplifying element is disposed on an outer periphery of the central optical fiber. In addition, the optical cable further includes an outer sheath, and the outer sheath wraps the central optical fiber and the reinforcement member to isolate the central optical fiber and the reinforcement member from an external environment. The central optical fiber is configured to transmit an optical signal, and the reinforcing member is configured to improve a tensile strength of the entire optical cable to protect the central optical fiber from damage by an external force.In a conventional technology, the reinforcing member is mainly made of one or more of a copper-plated steel wire, a phosphated steel wire, a galvanized steel wire, Kevlar fiber reinforced plastic (KFRP for short) and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP for short) to ensure that the screen tension of the reinforcing member is at least 150 kpsi, thereby improving the tensile strength of the optical cable.In the actual application, the central optical fiber is inevitably damaged due to an external force and the like, and does not transmit an optical signal. To ensure the normal operation of an entire network, a broken optical cable between the main optical modem and the information field in the room must be completely replaced. This not only consumes time and labor, but also increases the maintenance cost of the optical cable.In particular, the cost of an entire optical cable is high. In addition, a new optical cable needs to be newly installed on the wall, and both ends of a central optical fiber of the new optical cable needs to be reconnected to the information field and the main optical modem. The entire process consumes time and labor, greatly reducing the maintenance efficiency of the optical cable.Based thereon, an embodiment of this application provides an optical cable. Some or all of the reinforcing elements are arranged as optical fibers. In this way, an optical fiber serving as a reinforcing member can improve the tensile strength of the entire optical cable to protect the central optical fiber, i.e., a main optical fiber, from damage by an external force. In addition, the optical fiber serving as the amplifying element may be used as an auxiliary optical fiber and configured to transmit an optical signal. After the main optical fiber is damaged without replacing the entire optical cable, fusion splicing and the like are performed directly on the auxiliary optical fiber. In other words, the auxiliary optical fiber is used for signal transmission. This ensures the normal use of the optical cable, facilitates maintenance of the optical cable, and reduces maintenance costs.A specific structure of the optical cable according to an embodiment of this application will be described in detail below.FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 is a radial cross-sectional view of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, one embodiment of this application provides an optical cable that includes an outer sheath 100, a main optical fiber 200, and at least two gain elements 300. The main optical fiber 200 and the amplifying elements 300 are all disposed inside the outer cladding 100, and the main optical fiber 200 and the amplifying elements 300 have a same extending direction.In this embodiment of this application, the main optical fiber 200 serves as a main element of the optical cable and is configured to transmit an optical signal. For example, after the optical cable is connected to an optical main modem in a home and an information field in each room, the optical main fiber 200 in the optical cable implements the signal transmission between the optical main modem and the information field. The screen voltage of the main optical fiber 200 may be 100 kpsi or even less than 100 kpsi. The screen voltage of the main optical fiber 200 is not specifically limited in this embodiment of this application.During the specific configuration, the main optical fiber 200 may be a single-core optical fiber or a multi-core optical fiber. Hereinafter, the structure of the optical cable using a single-core optical fiber will be specifically described as an example. In addition, the main optical fiber 200 may be a single mode optical fiber. For example, the main optical fiber 200 may be a single mode optical fiber of any of the models G.652D, G.657A2, and B3. The main optical fiber 200 may alternatively be a multimode optical fiber. For example, the main optical fiber 200 may be a multimode optical fiber of any one of the models OM2, OM3, and OM4.In actual use, the main optical fiber 200 and the reinforcement members 300 are encased within the outer sheath 100 to isolate main components of the optical cable, the main optical fiber 200, and the reinforcement member 300 from an external environment. This protects the main optical fiber 200 and avoids damage caused by collision between the main optical fiber 200 and the external environment during transportation or installation.Generally, the outer sheath 100 wraps the main optical fiber 200 and the reinforcement members 300 in the entire extending direction before using the optical cable. In other words, the outer cladding 100 completely envelopes the main optical fiber 200 and the reinforcement members 300. When the optical cable is installed, a part of the outer sheath 100 is torn off on an outer periphery of an end portion of the main optical fiber 200 to expose the end portion of the main optical fiber 200. The main optical fiber 200 is fusion-spliced or connected to an FMC connector, and further connected to the information field, the main optical modem, and the like.In an actual manufacturing process, connectors may be directly prefabricated at two ends of the main optical fiber 200 in the optical cable. In this way, when the optical cable is installed, parts of the outer jacket 100 on outer peripheries of end portions of the main optical fiber 200 are torn off to expose the prefabricated connectors at the end portions of the main optical fiber 200, and finally the prefabricated connectors are connected to the information panel and the like.Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment of this application, at least two reinforcing members 300 are spaced apart on an outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200. The reinforcing members 300 are disposed on the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200 to improve the tensile strength of the entire optical cable and prevent the main optical fiber 200 from being damaged by an external force.For example, as shown in FIG. 2, two reinforcing members 300 may be spaced apart on the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200, and the two reinforcing members 300 may be respectively disposed on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along a first radial direction (refer to a direction x shown in FIG. 2 ) to ensure that the two reinforcing members 300 both protect a structure of the main optical fiber 200.It should be noted that the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, is an extending direction of a first diameter of the main optical fiber 200. The first diameter may be a diameter in each direction of the main optical fiber 200. This embodiment of this application will be described in detail using an example in which a horizontal direction is used as the first radial direction, that is, the direction x. It should be emphasized here that in this embodiment of this application, an example in which the main optical fiber 200 is a single-core optical fiber is used for structure description, and the radial direction of the main optical fiber 200 refers to a radial direction of the single-core optical fiber. When the main optical fiber 200 is a multicore optical fiber, the radial direction of the main optical fiber 200 refers to a radial direction of a cylindrical structure formed together by the multicore optical fiber.In this case, it is understood that a connecting line between the two reinforcing elements 300 respectively disposed on the two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, that is, the direction x passes through a central axis of the main optical fiber 200. In other words, the two amplifying elements 300 are centrosymmetric with respect to the main optical fiber 200.Of course, in another example, the two amplifying elements 300 may also be respectively disposed on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along another direction parallel to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. That is, the connecting line between the two reinforcing members 300 does not pass through the central axis of the main optical fiber 200. In other words, the two amplifying elements 300 are only axis-symmetric with respect to the central axis of the main optical fiber 200, but are not centro-symmetric with respect to the main optical fiber 200. An arrangement of the reinforcing members 300 is not limited in this embodiment of this application.In the above example, the main optical fiber 200 may be disposed at a central position of the outer cladding 100. The two reinforcing members 300 are respectively disposed on the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200, and distances between the reinforcing members 300 and the central axis of the main optical fiber 200 may be all the same.FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application. FIG. 4 is a radial cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, two or more reinforcement members 300 may be present during the specific configuration. For example, the main optical fiber 200 is disposed at a central position of the outer cladding 100. Three reinforcing members 300 are uniformly distributed around a central axis of the main optical fiber 200 and on an outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200.For another example, at least four reinforcing members 300 may be disposed on the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200. The four amplifying elements 300 may be uniformly distributed on the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 200. Of course, in some examples, at least two amplifying elements 300 may be respectively disposed on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along a first radial direction, i.e., a direction x. In other words, at least two reinforcing members 300 are disposed on each side of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, to further improve the tensile strength of the optical cable in this embodiment of this application. For example, two or more reinforcing members 300 are disposed on each of two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction.Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of amplifying elements 300 located on a same side of the main optical fiber 200 are arranged along a first direction (refer to a direction a shown in FIG. 4 ). The first direction may be any direction at a specific angle to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. For example, two amplifying elements 300 are disposed on each of two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. Two reinforcing members 300 on a same side are arranged along the first direction, i.e., the direction a. A specific angle is present between the first direction a and the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. For example, the angle between the first direction, i.e. the direction a, and the first radial direction, i.e. the direction x, may have a suitable angle value, such as 30°, 45° or 60°.Still referring to FIG. 4, since the main optical fiber 200 and the amplifying elements 300 located on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 occupy specific space in the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, the plurality of amplifying elements 300 located on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 are arranged along the first direction, i.e., the direction a, at a specific angle to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, in order to save space occupied by the plurality of amplifying elements 300 located on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 in the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. In this way, the structure of the optical cable in this embodiment of this application is more compact, and space occupied by laying the optical cable is saved. The optical cable is better adapted for use in an indoor communication scenario and is more convenient to install.During the specific configuration, an arrangement direction of the two amplifying elements 300 on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 may be perpendicular to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. In other words, the two amplifying elements 300 may be arranged on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 along the first direction, i.e., the direction a, which is perpendicular to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. This further saves space occupied by the reinforcing members 300 in the optical cable along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, reduces a size of the optical cable in the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, and further improves the structural compactness of the optical cable.For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the two amplifying elements 300 are arranged on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 along a direction parallel to a second radial direction (a direction y shown in FIG. 4 ) of the main optical fiber 200. For example, the two reinforcing members 300 are disposed on the same side on an upper side and a lower side of an axial cross section of the main optical fiber 200, respectively, along the first radial direction.It should be noted that the second radial direction, that is, the direction y is an extending direction of a second diameter of the main optical fiber 200, and the second diameter may be a diameter of the main optical fiber 200 in a direction perpendicular to the first radial direction. This embodiment of this application will be described in detail using an example in which a vertical direction is used as the second radial direction, that is, the direction y.It should be noted that, in order to reduce the size of the optical cable in the first direction, i.e., the direction a, the plurality of amplifying elements 300 may be disposed in contact on the same side of the main optical fiber 200. In other words, the plurality of reinforcing members 300 arranged along the first direction, i.e., the direction a, are arranged in contact with each other. By such setting, an arrangement size of the reinforcing members 300 in the first direction of the optical fiber, i.e., the direction a, is reduced to further reduce a specified size of the optical cable in the first direction, i.e., the direction a. In addition, the reinforcement members 300 in contact with each other may also support each other to improve the structural strength of each reinforcement member 300. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the plurality of amplifying elements 300 are sequentially stacked on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 along a direction parallel to the direction y. This effectively reduces an occupied size of the plurality of reinforcing members 300 arranged on the same side in the direction perpendicular to the first radial direction, that is, the direction x.Referring to FIG. 4, during the specific configuration in this embodiment of this application, a width of the outer cladding 100 in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction x, may be set to a range of 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm. For example, the width of the outer cladding 100 in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction x, may have a suitable value, such as 1.5 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, or 2.0 mm. In this embodiment of this application, the width of the outer cladding 100 in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction x, is not limited and can be specifically adjusted based on an actual requirement.In addition, a height of the outer cladding 100 in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction y, ranges from 1.2 mm to 1.9 mm. For example, the height of the outer cladding 100 in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction y, may have a suitable value, such as 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, or 1.9 mm. In this embodiment of this application, the height of the outer cladding 100 in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction y, is not limited and can be specifically adjusted based on an actual requirement.The second radial direction, i.e., the direction y, is perpendicular to the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. For example, when a shape of a radial cross section of the outer shell 100 is a square or rectangular structure, the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, may be a width direction of the radial cross section of the outer shell 100, and the second radial direction, i.e., the direction y, may be a height direction of the radial cross section of the outer shell 100. In this way, the width of the outer shell 100 may be set within a range of 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and the height of the outer shell 100 may be set within a range of 1.2 mm to 1.9 mm, which may be specifically adjusted based on actual requirements.It should be noted here that the values and the value ranges included in embodiments of this application are approximate values, and there may be an error within a specific range due to the effect of the manufacturing process. The error can be considered negligible by a person skilled in the art.By setting the width of the outer shell 100 in the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, and the width of the outer shell in the second radial direction, i.e., the direction y, within the protruding ranges, a size occupied by laying the optical cable is reduced to better adapt the optical cable for use in an indoor communication scenario. For example, the optical cable may enter each room through a door gap, which facilitates internal cross room installation, thereby reducing the deployment time and cost of the optical cable.At least one amplifying element 300 in this embodiment of this application is an auxiliary optical fiber. For example, referring to FIG. 2, when a gain element 300 is disposed on one of the both sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, one of the two gain elements 300 located on the both sides of the main optical fiber 200 is an auxiliary optical fiber. For example, a gain element 300 is disposed on a left side of the main optical fiber 200 as an auxiliary optical fiber. Certainly, the two reinforcing members 300 respectively disposed on the two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, may be both auxiliary optical fibers.Note that, in this embodiment of this application, the main optical fiber 200 means an optical fiber that plays a primary role. In other words, the optical cable generally transmits an optical signal through the main optical fiber 200. The auxiliary optical fiber is a name different from the main optical fiber 200, and the auxiliary optical fiber particularly means an optical fiber that plays a role of supporting the main optical fiber 200. In other words, at least one amplifying element 300 is an optical fiber, and the optical fiber is used as an auxiliary optical fiber of the main optical fiber 200, and may also be configured to transmit an optical signal. For example, after the main optical fiber 200 is damaged due to an external force or the like, the auxiliary optical fiber may be used for signal transmission between the main optical modem and the information field.The auxiliary optical fiber may be a single-core optical fiber or a multi-core optical fiber. In addition, the auxiliary optical fiber may be a single mode optical fiber. For example, the auxiliary optical fiber may be a single mode optical fiber of any of the models G.652D, G.657A2, and B3. The auxiliary optical fiber may alternatively be a multimode optical fiber. For example, the auxiliary optical fiber may be a multimode optical fiber of any of the models OM2, OM3, and OM4.When some reinforcement members 300 are arranged as auxiliary optical fibers, the remaining auxiliary non-optical fiber reinforcement member 300 may be made of one or more of a copper clad steel wire, a phosphated steel wire, a galvanized steel wire, Kevlar fiber reinforced plastic (KFRP for short), and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP for short) to ensure that the screen tension of the reinforcement member 300 is at least 150 kpsi, thereby improving the tensile strength of the optical cable.In an optional implementation, the remaining auxiliary non-optical fiber reinforcement elements 300 may be made of an FRP material. In this way, the auxiliary non-optical fiber reinforcement members 300 are made of a transparent material. Moreover, since the optical fiber is also made of a transparent material, the materials of the main optical fiber 200, the auxiliary optical fiber, and the auxiliary non-optical fiber amplifying elements 300 are all transparent. This improves an invisible effect of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application to enable the optical cable to be adapted to home decoration styles of different colors.In addition, for the auxiliary optical fiber serving as the amplifying element 300, an optical fiber having a screen tension of more than 150 kpsi may be used as the auxiliary optical fiber to further improve the tensile strength of the optical cable.It is understood that when some reinforcing members 300 are arranged as auxiliary optical fibers, the remaining auxiliary non-optical fiber reinforcing members 300 also improve the tensile strength of the optical cable. In this way, the main optical fiber 200 and the auxiliary optical fibers can all be protected to ensure that the main optical fiber 200 and the auxiliary optical fibers are not damaged, and to extend a lifetime of the optical cable.One of the installation processes of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application is provided as follows.First, a portion of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application is prepared. Then, the optical cable is laid on a wall between a main optical modem and an information field in a room. The outer sheath 100 at two ends of the optical cable is torn off and two ends of the main optical fiber 200 are exposed. Then, end portions of the main optical fiber 200 are fusion-spliced to an optical fiber at the main optical modem and an optical fiber at the information field, respectively. In this way, as a primary transmission medium for optical signals, the main optical fiber 200 is connected between the main optical modem and the information field to transmit a signal between the main optical modem and the information field.After the main optical fiber 200 is damaged, two ends of any auxiliary optical fiber are exposed by tearing off the outer sheath 100, and then end portions of the auxiliary optical fiber are fusion-spliced to the optical fiber at the main optical modem and the optical fiber at the information field, respectively. In this way, as a transmission medium for optical signals, the auxiliary optical fiber is connected between the main optical modem and the information field to transmit a signal between the main optical modem and the information field.According to the optical cable provided in this embodiment of this application, at least one amplifying element 300 is disposed on one side of the main optical fiber 200 as an auxiliary optical fiber. In this way, the auxiliary optical fiber serving as the reinforcing member 300 can improve the tensile strength of the entire optical cable to protect the main optical fiber 200 from damage by an external force. In addition, the auxiliary optical fiber may also be configured to transmit an optical signal. After the main optical fiber 200 is damaged without replacing the entire optical cable, fusion splicing and the like are performed directly on the auxiliary optical fiber. The auxiliary optical fiber is used for signal transmission. This not only ensures the normal use of the optical cable, but also facilitates the maintenance of the optical cable and reduces the maintenance cost.During the specific configuration, each amplifying element 300 may be an auxiliary optical fiber. For example, referring to FIG. 4, two reinforcing elements 300 are respectively disposed on each of two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, and the four reinforcing elements 300 may be all auxiliary optical fibers. In this way, after the main optical fiber 200 is damaged, any of the auxiliary optical fibers can be used to transmit an optical signal to facilitate maintenance of the optical cable. In addition, the two auxiliary optical fibers located on a same side of the main optical fiber 200 may collectively serve as a dual core optical fiber, and are each configured to transmit and receive optical signals to improve the reliability of signal transmission of the optical cable.In the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application, the main optical fiber 200 may be a bare optical fiber in order to simplify the structure of the optical cable and improve the manufacturing efficiency of the optical cable. Moreover, the optical fiber is a transparent structure that can further improve the transparency of the optical cable to improve the sense of beauty for installation of the optical cable.FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of still another structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to FIG. 5, in some examples, the optical cable may further include a dense ferrule 400, and the dense ferrule 400 wraps around an outer surface of the main optical fiber 200. For example, when the main optical fiber 200 is a single core optical fiber, the dense ferrule 400 wraps an outer surface of the single core optical fiber to protect the single core optical fiber.It should be understood that the dense ferrule 400 envelopes the entire outer surface of the main optical fiber 200 along an extending direction to completely envelope the main optical fiber 200 to improve the rigidity of the main optical fiber 200 and thereby ensure that the main optical fiber 200 is not bent or damaged during transportation and installation.During the specific configuration, the materials of the outer shell 100 and the dense sleeve 400 may both be set as transparent materials to improve the transparency of the entire optical cable, so that the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application can be more easily adjusted to various home decoration styles. Moreover, with reference to the reinforcing member 300 made of an FRP material or an optical fiber, the transparency and the invisibility effect of the entire optical cable are maximized. This further improves the wide adaptability of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application.A material of manufacture of the outer shell 100 and / or the dense sleeve 400 may include, but is not limited to, one or more of polyvinyl chloride (PVC for short), nylon, and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU for short). For example, the materials of manufacture of the outer shell 100 and the dense sleeve 400 may both include polyvinyl chloride (PVC for short), nylon, or thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU for short).It should be noted that the above materials of manufacture of the outer shell 100 and the dense sleeve 400 are all fire retardant materials. The outer shell 100 and the dense shell 400 are made of the fire retardant materials to ensure the interior fire safety performance of the outer shell 100 while implementing a transparent occlusion effect.When the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application is laid, the optical cable may be directly adhered to a wall between the main optical modem and the information field by an adhesive tape, or may also be clamped to the wall by a cable fixing clamp.Referring to FIG. 4, the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application further includes an adhesive layer 500 and an anti-adhesive layer 600 to further improve the efficiency of laying the optical cable. The adhesive layer 500 is disposed on at least a part of a surface of the outer shell 100, and the anti-adhesive layer 600 is adhered to a surface of the adhesive layer 500.It is understood that the adhesive layer 500 is disposed on a surface of the outer shell 100 facing the wall, so that the outer shell 100 is stably fixed to the wall by the adhesive layer 500.During the specific configuration, the adhesive layer 500 may extend from one end of the outer shell 100 to the other end along the extending direction. In other words, an extension length of the adhesive layer 500 is consistent with an extension length of the outer shell 100. In this way, it can be ensured that any point of the outer sheath 100 along the extension direction is bonded to the wall to improve the stability of the optical cable.Of course, in another example, the extension length of the adhesive layer 500 may be shorter than the extension length of the outer shell 100. In other words, the adhesive layer 500 is disposed on a part of the surface of the outer shell 100 along the extending direction. For example, a plurality of adhesive layers 500 may be spaced on the outer shell 100 along the extending direction. In this way, the outer sheath 100 is bonded to a wall at intervals along the extending direction to ensure not only that the outer sheath 100 is stably fixed to the wall but also to save the manufacturing materials of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the optical cable.In addition, the anti-adhesive layer 600 is adhered to a surface of the adhesive layer 500 before the optical cable is installed, in order to prevent the adhesive surface of the adhesive layer 500 from being soiled by the external environment and being less adhesive.During the specific installation of the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application, the anti-adhesive layer 600 on the surface of the adhesive layer 500 is first torn off, and then the outer sheath 100 of the optical cable is stably adhered to a designed wall through the adhesive layer 500.In this embodiment of this application, the adhesive layer 500 is disposed on at least the part of the surface of the outer shell 100, and the anti-adhesive layer 600 is disposed on a surface of the adhesive layer 500. In this way, when the optical cable is laid, the optical cable can be quickly stably adhered to a wall directly by the adhesive layer 500 after the anti-adhesive layer 600 is torn off, thereby improving the efficiency of laying the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application, while improving the reliability of laying the optical cable according to this embodiment of this application.During the specific configuration, the adhesive layer 500 according to this embodiment of this application and the outer shell 100 may be integrally formed as an integral part. For example, the outer sheath 100 and the adhesive layer 500 may be integrally formed by two-color injection molding, so that the optical cable is manufactured more conveniently and quickly.Still referring to FIG. 4, at least a part of an outer surface of the outer sheath 100 may be configured as a surface to improve the adhesive reliability of the optical cable. The adhesive layer 500 is disposed on the surface. For example, one of the surfaces of the outer shell 100 may be arranged as a planar structure, and the adhesive layer 500 is arranged on the surface, so that the adhesive layer 500 is stably fixed to the surface of the outer shell 100, and the outer shell 100 may be stably fixed to the wall by the horizontal adhesive layer 500.For example, one of two opposing surfaces, for example, a lower surface, of the outer cladding 100 along the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction y, is arranged as a planar structure. The adhesive layer 500 is disposed on the lower surface of the outer shell 100, and the anti-adhesive layer 600 is adhered to an adhesive surface of the adhesive layer 500. When the optical cable is attached, the anti-adhesive layer 600 can be torn off directly, and then the lower surface of the outer sheath 100 is adhered to the wall, so that the optical cable can be laid efficiently and stably.During a specific implementation, the adhesive layer 500 may be an adhesive laid on the surface of the outer shell 100. A material for manufacturing the adhesive may include, but is not limited to, one or more of thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin, phenol resin, urea-formaldehyde resin, and polyurethane, thermoplastic resins such as polyvinyl acetal and perchloroethylene resin, and synthetic rubber such as neoprene and nitrile rubber. For example, the adhesive used as the adhesive layer 500 may be made of materials such as epoxy resin, polyvinyl acetal, and neoprene.In some examples, the adhesive layer 500 may be further arranged as a transparent double-sided tape. The transparent double-sided tape and the outer shell 100 are integrally formed as an integral part. For example, the outer sheath 100 and the transparent double-sided tape are integrally formed by the two-color injection molding to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the optical cable.Moreover, the adhesive layer 500 is arranged as a double-sided tape to make it more convenient to form the adhesive layer 500 on the outer sheath 100 and also facilitate the attachment and adhesion of the optical cable. For example, the optical cable integrally formed may be directly adhered to a wall when the optical cable is routed. There is no need to first adhere the double-sided tape to the outer jacket 100 before the optical cable is attached to the wall, and then adhere the outer jacket 100 to the wall through the double-sided tape. Therefore, the efficiency of laying the optical cable is improved.Moreover, the adhesive layer 500 is arranged as a transparent double-sided tape to further improve transparency of the optical cable, so that the optical cable can be better adjusted to various home decoration styles.It should be noted that the anti-adhesive layer 600 on the outer surface of the adhesive layer 500 may be made of a non-transparent material.Based on the above content, it can be learned that, when the optical cable is installed, a part of the outer sheath 100 on an outer periphery of an end portion of the main optical fiber 200 needs to be torn to expose the end portion of the main optical fiber 200. The main optical fiber 200 is fusion-spliced or connected to an FMC connector, and further connected to an information field, a main optical modem, and the like. In this way, the main optical fiber 200 can implement the optical signal transmission between the information field and the main optical modem.FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another structure of an optical cable according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 is a radial cross-sectional view of Figure 6. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, in this embodiment of this application, a first groove 110 may be formed on the outer shell 100 to facilitate tearing of the outer shell 100. The first groove 110 is disposed in a second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction y, and the first groove 110 is disposed from one end of the outer cladding 100 to the other end of the outer cladding 100 along an extending direction. In other words, the first groove 110 is disposed in the entire extending direction of the outer shell 100.It is to be understood that since the first groove 110 has a specific width, a part of the first groove 110 is usually arranged in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction y. In other words, the part of the first groove 110 is disposed in a surface on which an axial cross section of the main optical fiber 200 along the second radial direction, that is, the direction y is disposed.Referring to FIG. 7, the first groove 110 is disposed in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction y. When the optical cable is installed, the outer sheath 100 may be torn at the first groove 110 to quickly expose an end portion of the main optical fiber 200, and the main optical fiber 200 is further fusion-spliced to the information panel and the like. However, an extension length of the first groove 110 is allowed to be consistent with an extension length of the outer sheath 100, so that it is easier to quickly tear the outer sheath 100 from the first groove 110, thereby further improving the installation efficiency of the optical cable.In addition, the first groove 110 is disposed on the outer cladding 100, and the first groove 110 is disposed in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction y. In this way, after the main optical fiber 200 inside the outer sheath 100 is damaged, the outer sheath 100 can be torn at the groove on the outer sheath 100 to quickly divide the optical cable into a left part and a right part. In this way, an end portion of any auxiliary optical fiber on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 can be exposed conveniently and quickly, and the end portion of the auxiliary optical fiber is fusion-spliced or connected to an FMC connector to further improve the maintenance efficiency of the optical cable.A shape of a cross section of the first groove 110 along a radial direction of the main optical fiber 200 may be any shape such as an inverted trapezoid, a rectangle, a square, and a triangle. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the shape of the cross section of the first groove 110 in the radial direction of the main optical fiber 200 is a triangle, and a tip of the triangle is disposed at a bottom of the first groove 110. In this way, it is easier to tear the outer shell 100 from the bottom of the first groove 110.In the above example, the bottom of the first groove 110 having a triangular cross section may be disposed accurately in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction y. In this way, the outer cladding 100 can be torn off rapidly from the bottom of the first groove 110 to the surface of the main optical fiber 200.Note that the bottom of the first groove 110 refers to a groove wall opposite to an opening of the first groove 110, in particular.During the specific configuration, there may be two first grooves 110, and the two first grooves 110 are respectively disposed on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the second radial direction, that is, the direction y. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a first groove 110 is disposed on an upper side and a lower side of the main optical fiber 200, respectively, along the second radial direction, that is, the direction y. In this way, the structural strength of a connection between the two first grooves 110 can be reduced, so that it is easier to tear the outer shell 100 off the first groove 110.Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in this embodiment of this application, a second groove 120 may be disposed on the outer cladding 100, and the second groove 120 is disposed in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction x, to further improve the installation efficiency of the auxiliary optical fiber. In addition, the second groove 120 is disposed from one end of the outer shell 100 to the other end of the outer shell 100 along the extending direction. In other words, the second groove 120 is disposed in the entire extending direction of the outer shell 100.Similarly to the first groove 110, since the second groove 120 has a specific width, a part of the second groove 120 is usually arranged in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction x. In other words, the part of the second groove 120 is disposed in a surface on which an axial cross section of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, that is, the direction x is disposed.The first radial direction, i.e. the direction x, and the second radial direction, i.e. the direction y, are perpendicular to each other. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the first groove 110 is disposed on an upper surface or a lower surface of the outer shell 100, and the second groove 120 is disposed on a left surface or a right surface of the outer shell 100.For example, the second groove 120 is disposed on the left surface of the outer shell 100. Specifically, the second groove 120 is disposed on the left side of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. In this way, one of the amplifying elements 300 is disposed on the left side of the main optical fiber 200 as an auxiliary optical fiber. When the main optical fiber 200 has been damaged, the left surface of the outer cladding 100 may be quickly torn from the second groove 120 to quickly expose an end portion of the auxiliary optical fiber and perform subsequent fusion splicing and the like.In another example, two second grooves 120 may also be disposed on the outer cladding 100, and the two second grooves 120 are respectively disposed on two sides of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x. For example, a second groove 120 is disposed on one of the left surface and the right surface of the outer shell 100. In this way, when a reinforcing member 300 includes an auxiliary optical fiber on one of the left side and the right side of the main optical fiber 200, and when the main optical fiber 200 has been damaged, the outer cover 100 can be quickly torn from one of the second grooves 120 to quickly expose an end portion of the corresponding auxiliary optical fiber and perform subsequent fusion-splicing and the like.Referring to FIG. 7, optionally, when two reinforcing members 300 that are in contact with each other are disposed on one of the left side and the right side of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, the two reinforcing members 300 on both sides are disposed on an upper side and a lower side of the axial cross section of the main optical fiber 200 along the first radial direction, i.e., the direction x, respectively, and in addition, each reinforcing member 300 is disposed as an auxiliary optical fiber, the outer cladding 100 is torn off from the second groove 120 disposed in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction x. In this way, one of two auxiliary optical fibers on the same side can be quickly exposed and fusion-spliced, thereby improving the flexibility of selecting one auxiliary optical fiber.From the above description, it can be learned that the second groove 120 is disposed on the outer cladding 100 along the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction x. In this way, after the main optical fiber 200 inside the outer cladding 100 is damaged, the outer cladding 100 can be quickly torn from the second groove 120 to quickly expose the auxiliary optical fiber and perform fusion splicing and the like on the auxiliary optical fiber. This further improves the maintenance efficiency of the optical cable.Just like the first groove 110, a shape of a cross section of the second groove 120 in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction x, may be any shape such as an inverted trapezoid, a rectangle, a square, and a triangle. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the shape of the cross section of the second groove 120 in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, that is, the direction x, is a triangle, and a tip of the triangle is disposed at a bottom of the second groove 120. In this way, it is easier to tear the outer shell 100 from the bottom of the second groove 120.Note that the bottom of the second groove 120 refers to a groove wall opposite to an opening of the second groove 120, in particular.Referring to FIG. 7, in the above example, the bottom of the second groove 120 having a triangular cross section may be disposed accurately in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber 200, i.e., the direction x. In this way, the outer shell 100 is quickly torn from the bottom of the second groove 120 to a position between the upper and lower reinforcement members 300, so that one of the two reinforcement members 300 disposed on the same side of the main optical fiber 200 can be quickly exposed.In describing embodiments of this application, it should be noted that unless expressly stated and defined otherwise, the terms "install", "connect", and "connect" are to be understood in the broadest sense, for example, as a constant connection, indirect connection through a medium, or internal communication between two elements, or an interaction relationship between the two elements. A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand specific meanings of the above terms in embodiments of this application based on a specific situation.In the description, claims, and accompanying drawings of embodiments of this application, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", and so forth (if present) are intended to distinguish between similar objects, but do not necessarily indicate a specific order or sequence.

Claims

An inner communication optical cable comprising an outer sheath, a main optical fiber, and at least two reinforcing members, wherein the main optical fiber and the two reinforcing members are all disposed inside the outer sheath, and the main optical fiber and the two reinforcing members have a same extending direction; and the at least two reinforcing members are spaced apart on an outer periphery of the main optical fiber, and at least one reinforcing member is an auxiliary optical fiber; wherein the outer sheath is made of transparent materials; wherein the inner communication optical cable further comprises an adhesive layer and an anti-sticking layer; and the adhesive layer is disposed on at least a part of a surface of the outer sheath, and the anti-sticking layer is stuck to a surface of the adhesive layer.The internal optical communication cable according to claim 1, wherein the at least two amplifying elements are arranged on two sides of the main optical fiber along a first radial direction, and each amplifying element is an auxiliary optical fiber.The internal optical communication cable according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed on a same side of the main optical fiber are arranged along a first direction, with an angle between the first direction and the first radial direction.The internal optical communication cable according to claim 3, wherein the first direction and the first radial direction are perpendicular to each other.The internal optical communication cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical cable further comprises a dense ferrule, and the dense ferrule envelopes an outer surface of the main optical fiber; and the dense ferrule is made of transparent materials, and the production materials of the outer ferrule and the dense ferrule both comprise one or more of polyvinyl chloride, nylon, and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber.The internal optical communication cable according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of an outer surface of the outer sheath is configured as a surface, and the adhesive layer is disposed on the surface.The internal optical communication cable according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive layer is a transparent double-sided tape, and the transparent double-sided tape and the outer sheath are integrally formed as an integral part.The internal optical communication cable according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein a first groove and a second groove are formed on the outer sheath, and the first groove and the second groove are provided from one end of the outer sheath to the other end of the outer sheath along the extending direction, the first groove being arranged in a second radial direction of the main optical fiber, and the second groove being arranged in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber; and the first radial direction and the second radial direction are perpendicular to each other.The optical cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a width of the outer sheath in the first radial direction of the main optical fiber ranges from 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and a height of the outer sheath in the second radial direction of the main optical fiber ranges from 1.2 mm to 1.9 mm, wherein the first radial direction and the second radial direction are perpendicular to each other.The indoor optical communication cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the auxiliary optical fiber comprises a single-core optical fiber, a multi-core optical fiber, a single-mode optical fiber, or a multi-mode optical fiber.

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