Dry Overhead Ribbon Cable Water-Blocking Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing layer-stranded optical cable structure requires costly and time-consuming cleaning of water-blocking gel during the transition of overhead ribbon cables from outdoors to indoors, leading to inefficiencies in splicing and environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
An overhead ribbon cable with a full-dry structure featuring an optical fiber ribbon array wrapped with a water-blocking assembly, including a sealing layer formed by heating and curing a sealant, eliminating the need for water-blocking gel and simplifying the structure for improved splicing efficiency and environmental friendliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water-blocking gel is filled in gaps inside cable core, then water blocking performance is improved, but splicing efficiency deteriorates and environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the water-blocking gel from the cable core structure. Instead of filling gaps with gel, the invention uses a dry ribbon cable structure where optical fibers are tightly arranged in ribbons without requiring water-blocking material, thereby eliminating the need for gel cleaning during splicing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the water-blocking function from the cable core structure. Rather than integrating water-blocking gel within the core, the invention places water-blocking tape only at the outer layer of the cable, separating the structural function (core) from the water-blocking function (outer layer)
2Reliability
If water-blocking gel is filled in gaps inside cable core, then water blocking performance is improved, but construction cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water-blocking gel from the cable core, eliminating the time-consuming cleaning process during splicing operations. The dry ribbon structure allows for immediate splicing without requiring gel removal, significantly reducing construction time
3Reliability
If layer-stranded structure with water-blocking gel is used, then water blocking performance is improved, but environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful water-blocking gel from the cable structure and replaces it with environmentally friendly alternatives: dry ribbon cable structure with water-blocking tape applied only at the outer layer, eliminating gel-related environmental pollution during installation and splicing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses water-blocking tape as a disposable, non-polluting alternative to permanent gel filling. The tape provides water blocking when needed and can be easily removed or replaced without environmental harm, unlike persistent gel materials
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the volume and weight of the cable, enhances splicing efficiency, and lowers operation and maintenance costs while maintaining effective water blocking, facilitating direct splicing into terminal optical assemblies.
Implementation Method 1
a water-blocking sealing layer formed by heating and curing a sealant
Implementation Method 2
the connection layer, after photo-curing, forms the optical fiber ribbon together with the optical fibers
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an overhead ribbon cable, a manufacturing method, and a manufacturing system for the overhead ribbon cable. The overhead ribbon cable includes an optical fiber ribbon array (10). The optical fiber ribbon array (10) includes a plurality of optical fiber ribbons (11) arranged in an array. A surface of the optical fiber ribbon array (10) is wrapped sequentially with a water-blocking assembly and an outer protection layer (50). The water-blocking assembly includes a water-blocking sealing layer (20) formed by heating and curing a sealant. The water-blocking sealing layer (20) wraps the surface of the optical fiber ribbon array (10) in an axial direction of the optical fiber ribbon array (10) and fills a gap between two adjacent optical fiber ribbons (11). The overhead ribbon cable has improved splicing efficiency, and is clean and environmentally friendly.