OPTICAL CABLE UTILITY MODEL, COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The specifications in this application provide for an optical cable, a communication device, and an optical communication system. The optical cable comprises a main optical fiber, a cladding section, and a bonding section. The main optical fiber is located within the cladding section, and the bonding section is located on an outer side surface of the cladding section. The bonding section is a hot-melt, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. It has the characteristics of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and can be bonded by extrusion. During actual deployment, the bonding section of the optical cable is in contact with a wall, and the optical cable can be quickly and securely bonded to the wall by pressing the optical cable to apply force to the bonding section. This eliminates the need for repeated gluing or heating of an adhesive layer on the optical cable.The operation is simple and convenient, significantly improving the efficiency of optical cable deployment. The hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive layer also has a hot-melt characteristic. The molten pressure-sensitive hot-melt adhesive and the molten jacket molding material can be formed together through one-step co-extrusion, so that the interfaces of the bonding and jacket sections are mutually integrated and firmly joined to form an integrated mechanical member, thus significantly improving the bond strength of the jacket and bonding sections and enhancing the reliability of the optical cable.

Description

Optical cable, communication equipment and optical communication system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 30, 2022, with application number 202223216097.9 and application name “An optical cable, communication equipment and optical communication system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical cable, communication equipment, and an optical communication system. Background Art

[0003] With the rapid development of fiber-optic communication technology, technologies such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) have been widely adopted in communication scenarios. FTTR introduces optical fiber into every room to connect the optical network unit (ONU) in the communication system with the optical line terminal (OLT) in each room. Optical fiber offers strong transmission capabilities, high transmission rates, a longer lifespan, and lower signal attenuation, making it easy to achieve gigabit connectivity throughout the home.

[0004] Typically, indoor fiber optic cabling is deployed using open-wire deployment, and the optical cables used are often transparent, invisible cables to minimize damage to the wall's aesthetics. For example, invisible cables are coated with a hot-melt adhesive layer. At room temperature, the hot-melt adhesive is solid and has virtually no adhesive properties, making cable reeling easier. During actual installation, a hot-melt tool is used to heat and melt the adhesive, creating adhesion and securing the cable to the wall. This complex and tedious installation process requires additional tools, resulting in low installation efficiency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides an optical cable, communication equipment and optical communication system. The bonding part of the optical cable is a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the sheath part and the bonding part are an integrated structural part, and the surface of the optical cable has a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. During actual laying, the optical cable can be bonded by directly squeezing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The operation is simple and the laying and installation efficiency of the optical cable is significantly improved.

[0007] A first aspect of the present application provides an optical cable, comprising a main optical fiber, a sheath portion, and a bonding portion. The main optical fiber is located inside the sheath portion, the sheath portion isolates and protects the optical fiber, and the bonding portion is located on the outer surface of the sheath portion. The optical cable can be bonded and fixed through the bonding portion.

[0008] The bonding portion is an adhesive layer formed of a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the sheath portion and the bonding portion are an integral structural component. The hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive has hot-melt properties, and its melting point range can be close to the melting point range of the sheath portion molding material. Both can be in a molten state within a certain temperature range. The molten sheath portion molding material and the molten hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive can be integrally formed on the outer periphery of the optical fiber through a single co-extrusion process. The interface between the sheath portion and the bonding portion fuses with each other to form an integral structural component, thereby obtaining an optical cable with pressure-sensitive adhesive. For example, the sheath portion and the bonding portion are co-extruded in a single process using a double-layer co-extrusion process. Specifically, the sheath portion molding material is heated to a molten state, and the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive forming the bonding portion is heated to a molten state. The two molten materials are then converged in a double-layer co-extrusion machine and extruded simultaneously to form the sheath portion and the bonding portion. The interface between the bonding portion and the sheath portion fuses with each other and is tightly bonded to form a single component.

[0009] Compared to a two-shot injection molding process to form an adhesive-coated cable, this method allows the molten jacket and adhesive materials to converge and then be co-extruded in a single pass. This results in a higher degree of interface fusion between the jacket and adhesive, effectively improving the bond strength between the jacket and adhesive, reducing or eliminating the risk of cable fallout and enhancing the reliability of cable bonding and placement. Furthermore, the jacket and adhesive can be directly formed as a single piece around the periphery of the main optical fiber through a single co-extrusion process, which helps improve cable molding efficiency.

[0010] Hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive also has the properties of pressure-sensitive adhesive, and can be bonded by squeezing. During actual cable laying, the cable's bonding portion is placed in contact with the wall. By squeezing or pressing the cable, the bonding portion is adhered to the wall and fixed, allowing the cable to be quickly, stably, and reliably bonded to the wall. This eliminates the need to repeatedly apply or heat the adhesive layer, making the operation simple and convenient, significantly improving cable laying efficiency.

[0011] The optical cable also includes multiple reinforcement members, many of which are located inside the sheath and spaced around the outer periphery of the main optical fiber. The reinforcement members provide support for the sheath, minimizing or preventing damage to the main optical fiber from being squeezed or crushed by heavy objects. The reinforcement members also enhance the tensile and bending strength of the entire cable, enabling it to withstand greater construction pressures and minimizing or preventing damage to the main optical fiber caused by excessive traction or sharp bends during installation.

[0012] In one possible example, the base material of the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive is the same as the base material of the molding material of the sheath part. The base material refers to the main component material that forms the substance, so that the main components forming the sheath part and the bonding part are the same, which facilitates the double-layer co-extrusion of the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive and the sheath part molding material after melting to form an integrated sheath part and bonding part, and is conducive to further improving the fusion strength between the sheath part and the bonding part, improving the bonding force between the two, and further ensuring the reliability of optical cable laying.

[0013] In a possible example, the molding material of the sheath portion includes at least polyurethane, and the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive includes at least polyurethane adhesive, which is convenient for co-extrusion while meeting the bonding performance requirements and has a relatively low cost.

[0014] In one possible example, at least a portion of the outer surface of the sheath is flat, and the adhesive portion is located on this flat surface. This can increase the contact and fusion area between the adhesive portion and the sheath, further improving the bonding strength between the adhesive portion and the sheath. Furthermore, the flat surface of the adhesive portion allows for surface-to-surface bonding between the adhesive portion and the wall, increasing the bonding area between the adhesive portion and the wall and further improving the reliability of optical cable deployment.

[0015] In one possible example, the jacket portion includes a main portion and an extension portion, with the main optical fiber located within the main portion and the adhesive portion covering both the main portion and the extension portion. The extension portion, which extends from the main portion, can increase the lateral surface area of ​​the jacket portion, thereby enlarging the area of ​​the adhesive portion, thereby increasing the bonding area between the optical cable and the wall, and improving the reliability and durability of the cable's bonding.

[0016] In one possible example, the extension is located on one side of the main body along the width direction, and the thickness of the extension is less than that of the main body. The thinner extension helps reduce bending stress of the entire optical cable, facilitates the layout of the optical cable at bends, and can reduce deformation of the optical cable during bending, thereby improving the aesthetics of the cable layout.

[0017] In one possible example, the extension portion is located on both sides of the main body along the width direction, which can also widen the width of the optical cable, thereby increasing the bonding area of ​​the bonding portion, enriching the structural design of the optical cable, and making the optical cable applicable to a variety of scenarios.

[0018] In a possible example, the width of the bonding portion is greater than 2 mm. Providing a larger width for the bonding portion is beneficial to improving the bonding reliability of the optical cable while ensuring the stress and other characteristics of the optical cable.

[0019] In a possible example, the width of the bonding portion is 3.6 mm, which has better bonding reliability and can meet the bonding requirements of optical cables.

[0020] In one possible example, at least one reinforcement member is an auxiliary optical fiber, which can also be used to transmit optical signals. After the main optical fiber is damaged, the auxiliary optical fiber can be fusion-spliced ​​and used to realize signal transmission without replacing the entire optical cable. This can facilitate the maintenance of the optical cable and help save the maintenance and replacement costs of the optical cable.

[0021] In one possible embodiment, a release film is further included, which is disposed on the side of the adhesive portion facing away from the sheath portion. The release film acts as an isolation film, preventing the optical cables from sticking to each other due to the adhesive portion after winding, thereby facilitating winding.

[0022] In one possible example, a groove is defined on at least one side surface of the jacket along its thickness, extending from a leading end to a trailing end of the jacket. During installation of the optical cable, the jacket can be torn away from the groove to quickly expose the end of the main optical fiber, enabling connection to equipment in the optical communication system, thereby improving installation efficiency.

[0023] In one possible example, the optical cable is an invisible optical cable, which can improve the aesthetics of optical cable laying.

[0024] The second aspect of the present application provides a communication device, which includes at least a body and any of the above-mentioned optical cables, wherein the optical cable is connected to the body, so that the body can be connected to other communication devices through the optical cable to realize signal transmission between the two communication devices.

[0025] A third aspect of the present application provides an optical communication system comprising at least a first communication device, a second communication device, and any of the aforementioned optical cables. The first communication device and the second communication device are connected via the optical cable, thereby enabling optical signal transmission between the first communication device and the second communication device via the optical cable. The optical cable has excellent bonding reliability, ensuring signal transmission of the optical communication system and enhancing the aesthetics of indoor deployment of the optical communication system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a molding process of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 100-fiber optic cable;

[0035] 10-main optical fiber;

[0036] 21- sheath portion;

[0037] 211-main body;

[0038] 212-Extension Department;

[0039] 213-groove;

[0040] 22- bonding portion;

[0041] 30-reinforcement member;

[0042] 40-Release film. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The terms used in the implementation section of this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0044] Embodiments of the present application provide an optical cable that can be used in an optical communication system to connect devices and thereby transmit optical signals between the devices. For example, the optical cable can be used in a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) communication system, or in a fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) communication system.

[0045] Typically, in a fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) system solution, the optical network unit (ONU) can be connected to the user's home's main optical network terminal (ONT) to achieve fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). The main optical network terminal (e.g., a main optical modem) is then connected to the optical line terminal (OLT) (e.g., an information box) in each room via optical cable, ensuring a stable network point in each room, thus forming a complete all-optical home network scenario.

[0046] Optical cables typically include a sheath and the main optical fiber within the sheath. Optical cables are often laid out in open wires within a room. For example, common optical cables are unadhesive, meaning there's no adhesive layer formed on the outside of the sheath. During deployment, the cable can be secured to the wall by applying an adhesive layer on-site or using fasteners like hooks and screws. However, hooks and screws can be unsightly. In adhesive solutions, hot-melt tape, glass tape, or other adhesive layers are typically applied to the sheath surface to bond the cable. This requires repeated application of adhesive layers before bonding the cable, resulting in low deployment efficiency.

[0047] There are also optical cables with built-in hot melt adhesive in the related art. The hot melt adhesive is solid at room temperature and has no adhesive properties, which can facilitate the winding of the optical cable. During actual laying, it is necessary to use a hot melt tool to melt the hot melt adhesive on the surface to make it adhesive, and then fix the optical cable to the wall with the hot melt adhesive. In order to reduce or avoid damage to the sheath during thermal processing to melt the hot melt adhesive layer, the melting point range of the hot melt adhesive and the sheath is usually quite different. Therefore, in actual processing, a secondary injection molding or secondary extrusion method is used to form a hot melt adhesive layer on the surface of the sheath. For example, the sheath is first formed by a primary injection mold, and after demoulding, it is injected again through the mold to form a hot melt adhesive layer on the surface of the sheath. The molding process is complicated, and the bonding interface between the hot melt adhesive layer and the optical cable is relatively weak. There is a risk of easy falling off during actual laying, which reduces the reliability and durability of the optical cable bonding. Moreover, during the laying process, the hot melt glue needs to be heated continuously with a hot melt tool before bonding. The operation is cumbersome and complicated, and the laying efficiency is relatively low. In addition, the sheath is easily burned during the heating of the hot melt glue, affecting the aesthetics of the optical cable.

[0048] Alternatively, there are also optical cables with built-in double-sided tape in the related art, which are used to adhere the optical cable to the wall by means of double-sided tape. The double-sided tape can also be integrally formed with the sheath by means of injection molding. The specific injection molding method can be to use a two-color injection molding machine to achieve two-color injection molding. Two-color injection molding is also a type of secondary injection molding. That is to say, the sheath and the double-sided tape are also formed by injection molding in sequence. The specific process principle is to first form the sheath through a single injection molding in the two-color injection molding machine without demoulding, and then directly form the double-sided tape on the surface of the sheath again by injection molding, so that the sheath surface of the optical cable has a built-in double-sided tape. During the installation and construction, the optical cable can be directly adhered to the wall by means of the double-sided tape to achieve the fixation of the optical cable. However, the optical cable with built-in adhesive needs to be formed through two injection moldings, and the molding process is complicated. In addition, the optical cable formed by the secondary injection molding has a weak interface bonding force between the sheath and the tape, and there is also a risk of falling off during actual installation.

[0049] In addition, commonly used optical cables, whether they are adhesive-free or adhesive-coated, are mostly of conventional width, usually 1.5mm-2mm, and 1.2mm-1.9mm in height. The maximum width of the adhesive layer formed on the surface of the optical cable is also less than 2mm. The small width cannot well guarantee the bonding strength with the wall, and there is also a risk of falling off, resulting in poor bonding reliability and durability of the optical cable.

[0050] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides an optical cable having an adhesive portion comprising a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. During deployment, the optical cable can be directly bonded to the wall surface by extrusion, making deployment convenient and significantly improving deployment efficiency. Furthermore, the adhesive portion comprises a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, whose melting point range is relatively close to that of the sheath. The molten hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive and the molten sheath molding material can be converged and then co-extruded to form an integrated structure. This significantly enhances the bonding strength at the interface between the sheath and the adhesive portion, improving the ease of construction and connection reliability of the optical cable.

[0051] The optical cable provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0053] 1 , an optical cable 100 may include a main optical fiber 10 , which is used to transmit optical signals.

[0054] The length extension direction of the main optical fiber is the length direction of the optical cable 100, such as the y direction in the figure, the width direction of the optical cable 100 is perpendicular to the length direction, such as the x direction in the figure, and the thickness direction of the optical cable 100 is perpendicular to both the length direction and the width direction, such as the z direction in the figure.

[0055] The optical cable 100 may also include a sheath portion 21, in which the main optical fiber 10 is located. The sheath portion 21 is wrapped around the entire extension direction (length direction y) of the main optical fiber 10. The sheath portion 21 isolates and protects the main optical fiber 10, preventing the main optical fiber 10 from being damaged by collision, extrusion, etc. with the external environment during transportation and laying.

[0056] When installing the optical cable 100, for example, to connect a first communication device (e.g., an optical modem) and a second communication device (e.g., an optical line terminal) in an optical communication system through the optical cable 100, the sheath 21 at one end of the optical cable 100 can be torn open to expose the main optical fiber 10 therein, and the main optical fiber 10 can be connected to the optical modem device by fiber fusion splicing or connecting a connector. Accordingly, the sheath 21 at the other end of the optical cable 100 can be torn open to expose the main optical fiber 10 therein, thereby connecting the main optical fiber 10 to the optical line terminal device, thereby connecting the two devices and achieving optical signal transmission between the two devices.

[0057] The optical cable 100 may further include an adhesive portion 22, which is located on the outer surface of the jacket portion 21. For example, the adhesive portion 22 may be provided on one side of the jacket portion 21 along the thickness direction (z direction). The adhesive portion 22 has adhesive properties and can be used to secure the optical cable 100. For example, the optical cable 100 can be bonded and secured to a wall through the adhesive portion 22. It should be understood that the adhesive portion 22 is provided along the entire extension direction of the jacket portion 21.

[0058] As shown in FIG1 , the bonding portion 22 may be located only on one side surface of the sheath portion 21. Of course, in some other examples, the bonding portion 22 may be provided on multiple sides of the sheath portion 21, or may be provided on all peripheral side surfaces of the sheath portion.

[0059] The bonding portion 22 is a hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, that is, the bonding portion 22 is an adhesive layer formed by a hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive material. The hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive has hot melt properties. At room temperature, the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive is solid. When heated to the melting point, it is in a molten state. The hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive also has the properties of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and is an adhesive that is sensitive to pressure. The bonding and fixation of the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be achieved by extrusion.

[0060] The bonding portion 22 is an adhesive layer formed by a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive. The melting point range of the pressure-sensitive hot-melt adhesive can be close to the melting point range of the molding material of the jacket portion 21. Both can be in a molten state within a certain temperature range. The molten jacket portion molding material and the molten hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive can be integrally formed on the outer periphery of the optical fiber through a single co-extrusion process. The jacket portion 21 and the bonding portion 22 are fused together at their interfaces to form an integrated structural component, thereby obtaining the optical cable 100 with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. For example, the jacket portion 21 and the bonding portion 22 can be co-extruded in a single process through a double-layer co-extrusion process. Specifically, the molding material of the jacket portion 21 is heated to a molten state, and the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive forming the bonding portion 22 is heated to a molten state. The two molten materials are then converged in a double-layer co-extrusion machine and extruded simultaneously to form the jacket portion 21 and the bonding portion 22. The interfaces of the bonding portion 22 and the jacket portion 21 are fused together and tightly bonded to form a whole.

[0061] Compared to the related art of optical cables with double-sided tape or hot-melt adhesive layers formed by secondary injection molding, the molten jacket portion 21 molding material and the adhesive portion 22 molding material are converged and then co-extruded to form an integrated jacket portion 21 and adhesive portion 22. The interface fusion degree between the jacket portion 21 and the adhesive portion 22 is higher, which can effectively improve the bonding strength between the jacket portion 21 and the adhesive portion 22, reduce or avoid the risk of the optical cable 100 falling off, and improve the reliability of the adhesive placement of the optical cable 100. In addition, the jacket portion 21 and the adhesive portion 22 can be directly and integrally formed by co-extrusion at the periphery of the main optical fiber, which is beneficial to improving the molding efficiency of the optical cable 100.

[0062] During actual laying construction, the adhesive portion 22 of the optical cable 100 is brought into contact with the wall. By squeezing or pressing the optical cable 100 and applying force to the adhesive portion 22, the adhesive portion 22 can be bonded and fixed to the wall, thereby quickly, stably and reliably bonding the optical cable 100 to the wall. There is no need to repeatedly apply or heat the adhesive layer on the optical cable 100. The operation is simple and convenient, and the laying efficiency of the optical cable 100 is significantly improved.

[0063] The molding material of the sheath portion 21 may include polyurethane material, polyvinyl chloride material (PVC for short) material or nylon material.

[0064] The molding material of the adhesive portion 22 may include a polyurethane material. Of course, in some other examples, the molding material of the adhesive portion 22 may also be other types of hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesives, such as resin materials and rubber materials.

[0065] In one possible example, the base material of the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive can be the same as the base material of the jacket portion 21 molding material, where the base material refers to the main component of the material. This facilitates the co-extrusion of the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive and the jacket portion molding material after melting to form the integrated jacket portion 21 and adhesive portion 22. This also helps further enhance the fusion strength between the jacket portion 21 and adhesive portion 22, improving the bonding strength between the two, and further ensuring the reliability of optical cable deployment.

[0066] For example, a hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive can be a polyurethane adhesive, whose base material is a polyurethane material. The adhesive may also include a tackifier, a modifier, a filler, etc. The base material of the sheath portion's molding material may also be polyurethane, which may also contain other modifiers or functional materials. Using polyurethane as the base material for both the sheath portion and the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive facilitates co-extrusion while meeting the required bonding performance requirements and at a relatively low cost.

[0067] Of course, in some other examples, the base material of the hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive can be different from the base material of the sheath part molding material, and the two can have good compatibility so that the molten hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive and the sheath part molding material can be co-extruded into an integrated sheath part and bonding part at one time.

[0068] Continuing with FIG1 , at least a portion of the outer side surface of the jacket portion 21 can be configured as a flat surface, and the adhesive portion 22 can be located on this flat surface. This, on the one hand, can expand the contact and fusion area between the adhesive portion 22 and the jacket portion 21, thereby further improving the bonding strength between the adhesive portion 22 and the jacket portion 21. On the other hand, the adhesive portion 22 can also be a flat surface, so that the bonding between the adhesive portion 22 and the wall is surface-contact bonding, which is beneficial to increasing the bonding area between the adhesive portion 22 and the wall, thereby further improving the deployment reliability of the optical cable 100.

[0069] The cross-sectional shape of the sheath portion 21 (the cross-sectional shape formed along the thickness z direction) can be various. For example, as shown in FIG1 , the cross-sectional shape of the sheath portion 21 can be a butterfly shape. Of course, in some other examples, the cross-sectional shape of the sheath portion 21 can also be a regular or irregular shape such as a rectangle, a square, or a triangle.

[0070] In the embodiment of the present application, taking the cross-sectional shape of the sheath portion 21 as a butterfly shape as an example, referring to Figure 1, grooves 213 can be opened on both side surfaces of the sheath portion 21 along the thickness direction. When installing the optical cable 100, the sheath portion 21 can be torn off from the groove 213 to quickly expose the end of the main optical fiber 10, so that the main optical fiber 10 can be connected to the equipment in the optical communication system, which helps to improve the installation efficiency.

[0071] The groove 213 may extend along the entire length of the jacket portion 21 , making it easier to quickly tear the jacket portion 21 from the groove 213 , thereby improving the installation efficiency of the optical cable 100 .

[0072] Grooves 213 are provided on two opposite side surfaces, which can facilitate the quick division of the sheath portion 21 into two parts, and more conveniently and quickly expose the main optical fiber 10 .

[0073] The cross-sectional shape of the groove 213 can be triangular. For example, as shown in FIG1 , the top corner of the triangle forms the bottom of the groove 213, making it easier to tear the sheath 21. Of course, in some other examples, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 213 can also be a regular or irregular shape such as a square or an inverted trapezoid.

[0074] Alternatively, in some other examples, the groove 213 may be formed only on one side of the sheath portion 21 along the thickness direction, so that the sheath portion 21 can be easily torn open at the groove.

[0075] Continuing with FIG. 1 , to facilitate reeling of the optical cable 100, the optical cable 100 may further include a release film 40. The release film 40 may be a flexible film layer and disposed on the side of the adhesive portion 22 facing away from the jacket portion 21. The release film 40 covers the entire adhesive portion 22. The release film 40 acts as an isolation layer, preventing the optical cable 100 from adhering to the adhesive portion 22 after reeling, thereby facilitating reeling.

[0076] The release film 40 may be formed of a material such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or the like.

[0077] The release film 40 can be fixed on the outer surface of the adhesive portion 22 by rolling. During actual laying construction, the release film 40 can be torn off manually or with the help of tools to expose the adhesive portion 22, and the adhesive portion 22 can be attached to the wall. The optical cable 100 can be bonded and laid on the wall by squeezing or pressing the optical cable 100.

[0078] 1 , the optical cable 100 may further include a reinforcement member 30 . There may be multiple reinforcement members 30 . The reinforcement member 30 and the main optical fiber 10 may extend from the head end of the optical cable 100 to the end along its length direction.

[0079] Multiple strength members 30 can be located within the jacket portion 21 and can be spaced apart around the outer periphery of the main optical fiber 10. The strength members can support the jacket portion 21 and reduce or prevent damage to the main optical fiber 10 in situations such as being squeezed or crushed by heavy objects. Furthermore, the strength members 30 can enhance the tensile and bending strength of the entire optical cable 100, enabling it to withstand greater construction pressure and reducing or preventing damage to the main optical fiber 10 caused by excessive traction or excessive bending angles during installation.

[0080] At least one of the multiple reinforcement members 30 can be an auxiliary optical fiber, and the auxiliary optical fiber can also be used to transmit optical signals. After the main optical fiber 10 is damaged, the auxiliary optical fiber can be fusion-spliced ​​and used to realize signal transmission. There is no need to replace the entire optical cable 100, which can facilitate the maintenance of the optical cable 100 and help save maintenance and replacement costs.

[0081] Of course, in some other examples, the reinforcement member 30 may also be other structural members capable of strengthening and supporting, for example, the reinforcement member 30 may also be other metal structural members, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the multiple reinforcement members 30 are auxiliary optical fibers as an example for description.

[0082] The main optical fiber 10 can be located at the center of the jacket portion 21, and the multiple strength members 30 can be evenly distributed around the periphery of the main optical fiber 10 to provide protection for the main optical fiber 10 in multiple dimensions. Alternatively, the multiple strength members 30 can be distributed along one direction on one or both sides of the main optical fiber 10. For example, the multiple strength members 30 can be distributed along the width or thickness of the main optical fiber 10 on both sides to ensure better support and protection for the main optical fiber 10.

[0083] It should be noted that the main optical fiber and the auxiliary optical fiber can be bare optical fibers, that is, their outer surfaces are not wrapped with other structures. For example, the main optical fiber and the auxiliary optical fiber can be bare optical fibers with a width (that is, diameter) of 250 μm.

[0084] Alternatively, the main optical fiber may include a bare optical fiber and an outer sheath. The outer sheath is wrapped around the outer circumference of the bare optical fiber to form the main optical fiber, and the main optical fiber is entirely located within the sheath. For example, the bare optical fiber of the main optical fiber may be a bare optical fiber with a width of 250 μm, and the outer sheath is wrapped around the outer circumference, making the overall width of the main optical fiber 900 μm. Correspondingly, the auxiliary optical fiber may also include a bare optical fiber and an outer sheath, and its width and structure can be consistent with those of the main optical fiber.

[0085] The molding material of the outer sheath may be consistent with the molding material of the sheath portion. For example, the molding material of the outer sheath may include polyurethane, nylon, silicone rubber, etc.

[0086] To enhance aesthetics, the optical cable 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application may be an invisible optical cable. For example, the optical cable 100 may be a transparent optical cable, and its main optical fiber 10 and auxiliary optical fiber may be non-colored optical fibers, respectively. The sheath portion 21, the bonding portion 22, the release film 40, and the outer sheath of the main optical fiber may be made of transparent materials, respectively.

[0087] Of course, in some other examples, the invisible optical cable 100 may also be a translucent optical cable, or the optical cable 100 may also be an optical cable of other colors. For example, the color of the optical cable 100 may be close to or the same as the color of the wall, etc. For example, the optical cable 100 may also be a light white optical cable.

[0088] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0089] To further enhance the bonding reliability of the optical cable 100, as shown in FIG2 , the jacket portion 21 may include a main portion 211 and an extension portion 212, wherein the primary optical fiber 10 and the auxiliary optical fiber may be located within the main portion 211, and the extension portion 212 may serve as a portion extending from the main portion 211, thereby increasing the side surface area of ​​the jacket portion 21. For example, the extension portion 212 and the main portion 211 may be distributed in the width direction, and the extension portion 212 may serve as a portion extending from the main portion 211 along the width direction, thereby increasing the width of the entire jacket portion 21, and thus increasing the side surface area of ​​the jacket portion 21.

[0090] The bonding portion 22 covers the main body portion 211 and the extension portion 212. The extended extension portion 212 can provide more setting space for the bonding portion 22, significantly increase the width of the bonding portion 22, increase the bonding area between the optical cable 100 and the wall, and thereby improve the bonding reliability and durability of the optical cable 100.

[0091] In one possible example, taking the cross-section of the main body 211 as a butterfly shape, as shown in Figure 2, the extension portion 212 can be located on one side of the main body 211 along the width direction, and the extension portion 212 can be regarded as a part extending from one side of the main body 211 along the width direction, and the adhesive portion 22 covers the main body 211 and the extension portion 212 together.

[0092] The thickness of the extension portion 212 may be consistent with the thickness of the main body portion 211 , that is, the extension portion 212 may be a portion formed by extending the entire main body portion 211 along the width direction.

[0093] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, the thickness of the extension portion 212 can also be smaller than the thickness of the main body portion 211. The extension portion 212 with a smaller thickness is beneficial to reducing the bending stress of the entire optical cable 100, facilitating the arrangement of the optical cable 100 at bends, etc., and can reduce the deformation of the optical cable 100 during the bending process, thereby improving the aesthetics of the layout of the optical cable 100.

[0094] For example, the thickness of the extension portion 212 may be 0.2 mm-1 mm.

[0095] The extension portion may be formed integrally with the sheath portion during the extrusion process, for example, by using a specific mold to integrally extrude the sheath portion, the extension portion, and the bonding portion.

[0096] Of course, in some other examples, the extension portion may also be formed separately from the sheath portion, for example, an integral structure of the sheath portion and the extension portion may be formed by secondary injection molding or the like.

[0097] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0098] For example, as shown in FIG3 , the size of the main body 211 may be similar to the conventional size of the butterfly optical cable in the related art. For example, the thickness h1 of the main body 211 may be 0.7 mm-0.9 mm, and the width w1 of the main body 211 may be 1.0 mm-1.2 mm.

[0099] The width W of the entire optical cable 100 may be 1.8 mm-3.8 mm, and the width of the adhesive portion 22 may be consistent with the overall width W of the optical cable 100 .

[0100] Illustratively, the width of the bonding portion 22 may be greater than 2 mm. This allows the bonding portion 22 to have a larger width, which is beneficial for improving the bonding reliability of the optical cable 100 while ensuring the stress and other characteristics of the optical cable 100 .

[0101] Furthermore, the width of the bonding portion 22 may be 3.6 mm, which has better bonding reliability and can meet the bonding requirements of the optical cable 100 .

[0102] The thickness h2 of the bonding portion 22 may be 0.3 mm-0.7 mm. For example, the thickness of the bonding portion 22 may be 0.3 mm, ensuring that the bonding portion 22 has excellent bonding strength.

[0103] The width of the extension portion 212 can be 0.6 mm-2.8 mm, so that the entire optical cable 100 has a smaller bending stress and bending deformation condition, ensuring the width of the extension portion 212 and the bonding portion 22, and ensuring the bonding reliability of the optical cable 100.

[0104] The thickness of the release film 40 can be 0.015 mm to 0.2 mm to ensure the flexibility of the release film 40 so as to facilitate tearing of the release film 40. The width of the release film 40 can be consistent with the width of the adhesive portion 22.

[0105] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG5 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0106] As shown in Figure 4, in another possible example, the shape of the entire optical cable 100 can be butterfly-shaped. In combination with Figure 5, the extension portion 212 can be located on both sides of the main body portion 211 along the width direction, and the bonding portion 22 covers the main body portion 211 and the extension portion 212 together. The extension portion 212 can serve as the part that is widened and extended on both sides of the butterfly-shaped main body portion 211 along the width direction, and can also widen the width of the optical cable 100, thereby increasing the bonding area of ​​the bonding portion 22, enriching the structural design of the optical cable 100.

[0107] Accordingly, the thickness of the extension portion 212 may be the same as the thickness of the main body portion 211 , or the thickness of the extension portion 212 may be smaller than the thickness of the main body portion 211 .

[0108] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing the dimensions of another optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0109] For example, as shown in FIG6 , the width W of the entire optical cable 100 may be consistent with the width of the jacket portion 21 , which may be 1.8 mm to 3.8 mm, and the thickness h1 of the jacket portion 21 may be 0.7 mm to 0.9 mm.

[0110] The width of the bonding portion 22 may be consistent with the overall width of the optical cable 100. For example, the width of the bonding portion 22 may be greater than 2 mm. Further, the width of the bonding portion 22 may be 3.6 mm. The thickness h2 of the bonding portion 22 may be 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.

[0111] The thickness of the release film 40 may also be 0.015 mm-0.2 mm, and the width of the release film 40 may be consistent with the width of the adhesive portion 22 .

[0112] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a molding process of an optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0113] In the embodiment of the present application, in the actual molding process, as shown in FIG7 , for example, the main optical fiber 10 and the auxiliary optical fiber can be placed on the optical fiber pay-off frame 200 and preheated, and then put into the multi-layer extruder 300, and the molten jacket molding material and hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive are added to the multi-layer extruder 300. Through the double-layer co-extrusion process, the jacket portion 21 and the bonding portion 22 are formed as an integral body by extruding and wrapping the main optical fiber 10 and the auxiliary optical fiber at one time. The main optical fiber 10 and the auxiliary optical fiber are located in the jacket portion 21, and the bonding portion 22 is tightly integrated on one side of the jacket portion 21. After that, after being cooled by the cooling device 400 and dried by the drying device 500, a release film 40 can be laid on the side of the bonding portion 22 facing away from the jacket portion by roller pressing. Finally, the cable is rolled and formed by the traction device 600 and the winding device 700 to form a rolled optical cable. That is to say, the sheath portion 21 and the bonding portion 22 can be directly formed integrally on the optical fiber surface by one-time extrusion. The entire molding process has high continuity, is simple, fast and easy to implement, and is conducive to improving the efficiency of optical cable molding.

[0114] It should be noted that the numerical values ​​and numerical ranges involved in this application are approximate. Due to the influence of the manufacturing process, there may be a certain range of errors. For example, the error value may be ±0.2 or ±0.1. Those skilled in the art may consider this part of the error to be negligible.

[0115] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which can be any communication device that uses light waves to transmit information. For example, the communication device can be an optical terminal (including a transmitting device, a receiving device, or an integrated transceiver device, etc.), an optical filter, an optical fiber connector, an instrument for optical communication, a power supply for communication, etc.

[0116] The communication device may include a body and an optical cable, wherein the optical cable is connected to the body, so that the body can be connected to other communication devices through the optical cable to realize signal transmission between the two communication devices.

[0117] An embodiment of the present application further provides an optical communication system, which may be the aforementioned fiber-to-the-home FTTH communication system, fiber-to-the-room FTTR communication system, or the like.

[0118] The optical communication system may include a first communication device, a second communication device, and an optical cable. The first communication device and the second communication device are connected via the optical cable, thereby achieving optical signal transmission between the first communication device and the second communication device via the optical cable.

[0119] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the embodiments of the present application have been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, ordinary technicians in this field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical cable, characterized in that: It comprises a main optical fiber (10), a sheath portion (21) and a bonding portion (22), wherein the main optical fiber (10) is located inside the sheath portion (21), and the bonding portion (22) is located on the outer surface of the sheath portion (21); The bonding portion (22) is an adhesive layer formed by hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the sheath portion (21) and the bonding portion (22) are an integrated structural component; It also includes a reinforcement member (30), the reinforcement member (30) is located inside the sheath portion (21), and the reinforcement member (30) is arranged on the periphery of the main optical fiber (10).

2. The optical cable according to claim 1, wherein The base material of the hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive is the same as the base material of the molding material of the sheath part (21).

3. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The molding material of the sheath portion (21) at least includes polyurethane, and the hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive at least includes polyurethane adhesive.

4. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that At least part of the outer side surface of the sheath portion (21) is a flat surface, and the bonding portion (22) is located on the flat surface.

5. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The sheath portion (21) comprises a main body portion (211) and an extension portion (212); the main optical fiber (10) is located in the main body portion (211); and the bonding portion (22) covers the main body portion (211) and the extension portion (212).

6. The optical cable according to claim 5, characterized in that The extension portion (212) is located on one side of the main body portion (211) along the width direction, and the thickness of the extension portion (212) is smaller than the thickness of the main body portion (211).

7. The optical cable according to claim 5, characterized in that The expansion portion (212) is located on both sides of the main body portion (211) along the width direction.

8. The optical cable according to claim 5, wherein The width of the bonding portion (22) is greater than 2 mm.

9. The optical cable according to claim 8, wherein The width of the bonding portion (22) is 3.6 mm.

10. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The reinforcement member (30) is an auxiliary optical fiber.

11. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that It also includes a release film (40), which is arranged on a side of the adhesive portion (22) facing away from the sheath portion (21).

12. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that A groove (213) is provided on at least one side surface of the sheath portion (21) along the thickness direction, and the groove (213) extends from the head end to the tail end of the sheath portion (21) along the length direction.

13. The optical cable according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical cable (100) is an invisible optical cable.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The optical cable (100) at least comprises a body and the optical cable (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the optical cable (100) is connected to the body.

15. An optical communication system, characterized in that: At least comprising a first communication device, a second communication device and the optical cable (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13; The first communication device and the second communication device are connected via the optical cable (100).

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