Fiber Optic Cable With Concave Jacket Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical drop cables with round jackets face challenges in craft friendliness, including difficult access to optical fibers due to protective sheaths and the need for labor-intensive grounding and stripping procedures, which complicates installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The design features a jacket with wide opposing sides, one of which has a concave surface, allowing easier access to optical fibers through a thinned section and reducing the need for labor-intensive stripping, while also providing improved crush resistance and eliminating the necessity for grounding metallic strength members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a round jacket design is used with protective sheath and strength members, then cable strength and protection are improved, but access to optical fibers becomes difficult and installation becomes labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The jacket is segmented into a first side with a concave surface and a second opposing side, creating distinct functional zones. The concave surface area is specifically designed to provide access to optical fibers while the rest of the jacket maintains protective function, separating the access function from the protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket has non-uniform thickness with a thinned section at the concave surface area. This local quality change allows the jacket to be easily accessed at the concave surface while maintaining adequate protection in other areas, creating different properties in different locations of the same component.
2Strength
If a thick jacket is used to protect optical ribbons, then protection is improved, but access to optical ribbons becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The jacket thickness is varied locally, being thinned at the concave surface area while maintaining adequate thickness elsewhere. This allows the jacket to provide protection where needed while being easily accessible at the concave surface for optical ribbon access.
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket is pre-formed with a thinned section at the concave surface area during manufacturing. This preliminary action prepares the jacket for easy access to optical ribbons without requiring labor-intensive stripping or shaving procedures during installation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If metallic strength members are used to provide rigidity, then cable rigidity is improved, but grounding requirements increase installation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces permanent metallic strength members requiring grounding with alternative materials or designs that provide equivalent rigidity without electrical conductivity concerns. This eliminates the need for grounding procedures and associated complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If a round cable design is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but crush resistance against handling and clamping forces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cable jacket is designed with asymmetrical geometry featuring a concave surface on the first side and a flat or convex second side. This asymmetric design provides enhanced crush resistance in directions perpendicular to the concave surface while maintaining manufacturability through extrusion or molding processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A drop cable includes a jacket having first and second opposing sides. The first side has a concave surface. At least one strength member is disposed in the jacket. An optical transmission component is disposed within the jacket and proximate the concave surface. The optical transmission component includes a plurality of optical fibers.