Tear-Separable Hybrid Cable for Power and Optical Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telecommunications cables fail to efficiently and cost-effectively transmit both electrical power and optical signals, hindering the deployment of untethered wireless transceiver devices and the expansion of wireless coverage areas.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid cable design featuring an outer jacket with pre-defined tear locations and a central passage for optical fibers, allowing for the separation of electrical conductors and optical fibers while maintaining insulation and protection, facilitated by a one-pass manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cables are used for power and optical signals, then transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines power conductors and optical fibers into a single hybrid cable assembly with a common outer jacket and shared structural components. This merging eliminates the need for separate cable installations while maintaining reliable transmission of both electrical power and optical signals through integrated but electrically isolated pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid cable serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transmits electrical power through conductors, carries optical signals through fibers, provides mechanical protection through the outer jacket, and enables both power delivery and high-speed data communication through a single installation infrastructure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electrical conductors and optical fibers are kept separate, then electromagnetic interference is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is segmented into distinct functional zones: power conductor regions with insulation and optical fiber regions with protective coatings. These segmented sections are arranged side-by-side within the common outer jacket, allowing independent optimization of each component while simplifying the manufacturing process through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer jacket acts as an intermediary structure that houses both power conductors and optical fibers while maintaining their electrical isolation. The jacket provides a shared protective environment that reduces the need for complex manufacturing processes compared to creating entirely separate cable assemblies.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single hybrid cable is used for both power and optical signals, then installation cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Power conductors and optical fibers are pre-positioned and secured within the outer jacket during the manufacturing process, with conductors placed in designated regions and fibers positioned in protected channels. This preliminary arrangement ensures proper spacing and protection before the cable is put into service, maintaining precision without increasing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process utilizes controlled parameters such as conductor diameter, fiber coating thickness, and jacket material properties to achieve the required precision. By optimizing these parameters during manufacturing, the cable achieves the necessary structural accuracy for reliable operation while keeping the overall design simple enough for cost-effective production.
4Ease of operation
If outer jacket is made tearable at pre-defined locations, then ease of operation is improved, but cable strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer jacket is segmented with pre-defined tear notches or weakened sections at specific locations where connectors need access. These segmented weak points allow easy tearing only at designated spots while the rest of the jacket maintains its full structural strength to protect the internal conductors and fibers throughout the cable length.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer jacket has non-uniform properties: most of the jacket maintains high strength and integrity for protection, while localized regions contain pre-weakened sections or tear notches that provide easy access points. This local variation in quality allows the jacket to simultaneously provide overall strength and localized ease of opening where connectors are installed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a hybrid cable having a jacket with a central portion positioned between left and right portions. The central portion contains at least one optical fiber and the left and right portions contain electrical conductors. The left and right portions can be manually torn from the central portion.