Shape-Retaining Fiber Optic Cable With Composite Bend Limiter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber optic cables are prone to damage from sharp bends and excessive forces, leading to increased insertion loss and potential data corruption, as they require careful handling to maintain a minimum bend radius and are susceptible to contamination and scratching during connectorization.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a compact compliant internal cable member with a ductile element, such as a soft annealed copper tube, and a non-ductile element, like spring tempered steel, to retain shape and limit bend radius, allowing for arbitrary shaping while preventing excessively sharp bends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fiber optic cables are made flexible and bendable, then ease of operation improves, but the cable becomes susceptible to sharp bends and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable incorporates a composite structure combining a ductile metal element (such as annealed copper or stainless steel) with a non-ductile metal element (such as spring-tempered steel). The ductile element provides flexibility and shape retention, while the non-ductile element acts as a bend radius limiter that prevents excessive sharp bends. This composite construction allows the cable to be both flexible for easy operation and resistant to damage from improper bending.
2Reliability
If a rigid structure is used to limit bend radius, then reliability improves, but the cable loses shape adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The cable employs a dynamic structure where the ductile metal element can be bent and shaped to various configurations, while the non-ductile metal element dynamically limits the minimum bend radius. The ductile element adapts to different shapes as needed, and the non-ductile element automatically engages when bending exceeds the safe radius, providing adaptive protection rather than a fixed rigid structure.
3Reliability
If protective armor is added to protect the fiber, then reliability improves, but the cable complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex external armor layers, the invention integrates protection within a simplified two-element composite structure. The combination of ductile and non-ductile metal elements provides both mechanical protection and bend control in a single integrated construction, avoiding the need for multiple separate protective layers and reducing overall cable complexity.
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 enables fiber optic cables to maintain an acceptable bend radius and shape retention, reducing the risk of damage and data loss, while being cost-effective, lightweight, and compact, suitable for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
The ductile element is advantageously a tube or a wire which readily deforms to retain a given shape and may be reshaped if desired
Implementation Method 2
The non-ductile element, which resists sharp bending of the cable during shaping, comprises a substantially non-ductile elongated element disposed within the cable and configured to oppose excessively sharp bending radius along its length
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with this invention, fiber optic cables are provided whose shape may be formed and retained while maintaining a limited bend radius. These features are produced by incorporating a compact compliant internal cable member into the cable structure. The compliant internal member consists not only of the fiber optic cable, but also of ductile and non-ductile elements. The ductile element is advantageously a tube or a wire which readily deforms to retain a given shape, and may be reshaped if desired. The non-ductile element, which resists sharp bending of the cable during shaping, comprises a substantially non-ductile elongated element disposed within the cable and configured to oppose excessively sharp bending along its length. Proper selection of the cross-sections and materials used in these elongated members produces a proper balance between shape retention and bending radius.