Optical Cable Internal Module Extraction for Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical cables face issues with repair, as damage to internal optical fibers leads to discontinuity and degradation of optical transmission quality due to the need for soldering new portions, which complicates maintenance and can introduce performance issues.
Innovation Solution
The optical cable design allows for the internal optical cable to be easily extracted from its tube, enabling replacement without cutting or soldering, by providing sufficient play within the tube, facilitating the insertion of a new cable and connection using conventional means, thus maintaining optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the internal optical cable is soldered to replace damaged sections, then the cable can be repaired, but optical transmission quality deteriorates due to discontinuity
Solution Approach 1:
The optical cable is divided into modular components: main optical fiber modules that can be independently extracted and replaced, and an internal optical cable that runs through the center. This segmentation allows damaged sections to be replaced without affecting the entire cable structure, maintaining optical transmission quality while enabling easy repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal optical cable is designed to be extractable from its protective tube without soldering or complex joining operations. The cable can be completely removed and replaced as a single unit, eliminating the need for intermediate soldering steps that would create discontinuities and degrade optical performance.
2Ease of repair
If the internal optical cable is soldered to replace damaged sections, then the cable can be repaired, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal optical cable is designed to be extractable from its protective tube without soldering or complex joining operations. The cable can be completely removed and replaced as a single unit, eliminating the need for intermediate soldering steps that would create discontinuities and degrade optical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The damaged internal optical cable can be completely extracted and discarded, replaced by a new cable without requiring preservation of any sections or complex joining operations. This simplifies maintenance by allowing complete replacement rather than partial repair with soldering.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the internal optical cable is tightly fixed in the tube, then structural stability is improved, but extractability for repair is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The internal optical cable is positioned within the protective tube with sufficient play or movement freedom, allowing it to be extracted when needed for repair. This dynamic design enables the cable to be removed and replaced without requiring complex disassembly operations, while still maintaining structural stability during normal operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The cable (101) has a protective envelope (2) enclosing main optical fiber modules (1). An inner optical cable portion (3) is arranged inside the envelope. The cable portion comprises a protective envelope that encloses inner optical fiber modules (31), where each inner module comprises optical fibers enclosed by an external sheath. The cable portion extends inside a tube (4). The cable portion has an adequate gap inside the tube for extracting the cable portion from the tube. The main modules are arranged around the tube. An independent claim is also included for a method for repairing an inner optical cable portion of an optical cable.