Fiber Optic Cable Tensile Screen and Casting Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber optic cables are prone to damage and complex to wind due to large size and lack of tension resistance, making them unsuitable for applications requiring tensile loads and efficient rewinding.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic cable design with a tensile protective screen and a two-stage casting system that allows for tension transmission through a connector, enabling smaller designs and increased tensile strength without damaging the transparent core, allowing for winding and rewinding without tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fiber optic cable is designed with a large winding radius of at least 4 cm to avoid tension, then the cable can be protected from damage, but the floating body becomes relatively large and winding up the entire optical fiber cable becomes practically impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the fiber optic cable system into two functional parts: a first cable portion with a protective shield for tension relief, and a second cable portion without the shield for compact winding. This segmentation allows the tension-bearing function to be separated from the winding function, enabling small-radius winding of the second portion while the first portion handles mechanical stresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shield is applied locally only to the first cable portion that is subject to tensile loads, while the second cable portion that needs to be wound has no shield. This local differentiation allows each portion to have the appropriate properties for its specific function: tension resistance where needed and compactness where winding is required.
2Strength
If a protective shield is added to the fiber optic cable to withstand tensile loads, then the cable can resist tension forces, but the cable structure becomes more complex and subsequent rewinding becomes extremely complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is segmented into a first portion with protective shield for tension relief and a second portion without shield for simplified handling and rewinding. This segmentation reduces the overall complexity by allowing the second portion to be more flexible and easier to manipulate during installation and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shield is extracted from the second cable portion that requires winding and rewinding operations. By removing the shield from this portion, the cable becomes more flexible and easier to handle, while the first portion retains the shield for tension protection.
3Length of moving object
If the fiber optic cable is made with a thin core diameter of 50 μm to reduce size, then smaller designs can be realized, but the cable becomes more susceptible to damage under tensile forces
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shield acts as an intermediary element between the thin fiber optic core and external tensile loads. It absorbs and distributes mechanical stresses, protecting the delicate 50 μm core from damage while allowing the core to maintain its small diameter for compact design.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable employs a composite structure combining the thin fiber optic core with a protective shield made of tension-resistant materials. This composite design allows the core to remain thin for small size while the shield provides the necessary mechanical strength and tensile force resistance.
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 design enables fiber optic cables to withstand tensile forces over 500N without core damage, facilitating smaller and more efficient cable connections and rewinding, particularly beneficial for underwater applications.
Implementation Method 1
a tensile protective screen which can withstand tensile loads
Implementation Method 2
the casting is mechanically coupled to the protective screen, so that a tensile force on the fiber optic cable can be mechanically transferred to the connector
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a fiber optic cable for transmitting optical signals, comprising an optically transparent core (103), in particular a glass core, a traction-resistant protective screen (105) and a first plug (106) in which the transparent core is guided in a defined manner such that the optical signals can be coupled to a plug counter piece. The first plug comprises a container (112) cast with a casting product (108, 110). Said casting product is mechanically coupled to the protective screen such that a traction force exerted on to the fiber optic cable can be mechanically transmitted to the first plug.