Optical Fiber Cable Wrapped Welded Jacket Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical cable jacketing processes are limited by low throughput and require additional easy-opening structures, and they do not effectively balance seam strength with overall cable jacket strength and durability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a pre-extruded thermoplastic sheet wrapped around optical fibers with a welded seam formed by high-speed laser welding, allowing for cross-linking to enhance strength and reduce shrinkage, and creating a weaker seam for easy access without additional opening structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional optical cable jacketing processes are used, then the cable jacket can be formed, but the throughput is low and additional easy-opening structures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the easy-opening function from a separate structural component and integrates it into the welded seam itself. The welded seam is designed to provide both the necessary structural integrity for high-speed manufacturing and a controlled weakness that enables easy opening, eliminating the need for additional easy-opening structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The welded seam serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural strength to maintain cable integrity during high-speed manufacturing, acts as a sealing barrier, and creates a controlled weakness for easy opening. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for separate easy-opening components while maintaining high throughput.
2Strength
If a strong welded seam is used to maintain cable jacket strength, then durability is improved, but easy access without additional structures becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a welded seam with non-uniform properties along its length. Specific segments of the seam are designed with controlled weakness to facilitate easy opening, while other segments maintain full strength for structural integrity. This localized variation in seam quality allows the cable jacket to be both strong and easily accessible.
Solution Approach 2:
The welded seam provides excessive strength in most areas to ensure durability, but intentionally creates partial weakness at specific locations to enable easy opening. This partial action approach allows the seam to be overwhelmingly strong for structural purposes while having localized vulnerabilities that facilitate access when needed.
3Productivity
If high-speed laser welding is used to form the seam, then throughput is improved, but shrinkage control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the thermoplastic material before the high-speed laser welding process. This pre-heating step prepares the material to better withstand the rapid heating and cooling cycles of laser welding, reducing thermal shock and minimizing shrinkage. The preliminary preparation allows high-speed welding to proceed while maintaining dimensional control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by carefully controlling and adjusting multiple process parameters during high-speed laser welding, including laser power, scanning speed, focal position, and material feed rate. These parameter adjustments optimize the welding process to achieve strong seams while minimizing thermal distortion and shrinkage, resolving the contradiction between throughput and precision.
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
This approach enables higher throughput in cable assembly, maintains cable jacket strength, reduces shrinkage, and provides an easy-opening feature without additional structures, enhancing both manufacturing efficiency and cable durability.
Implementation Method 1
The cable includes a welded seam coupling together opposing longitudinal edges of the wrapped thermoplastic sheet and maintaining the outer jacket in the wrapped configuration around the plurality of optical fibers. The welded seam is formed from portions of the wrapped sheet of thermoplastic material at the opposing longitudinal edges melted together.
Implementation Method 2
The welded seam is formed from portions of the wrapped sheet of thermoplastic material at the opposing longitudinal edges melted together.
Implementation Method 3
allowing for cross-linking to enhance strength and reduce shrinkage
Data Source
AI summary
An optical cable and method for forming an optical cable is provided. The cable includes a cable jacket including an inner surface defining a channel and an outer surface and also includes a plurality of optical fibers located within the channel. The cable includes a seam within the cable jacket that couples together opposing longitudinal edges of a wrapped thermoplastic sheet which forms the cable jacket and maintains the cable jacket in the wrapped configuration around the plurality of optical fibers. The method includes forming an outer cable jacket by wrapping a sheet of thermoplastic material around a plurality of optical core elements. The method includes melting together portions of thermoplastic material of opposing longitudinal edges of the wrapped sheet such that a seam is formed holding the sheet of thermoplastic material in the wrapped configuration around the core elements.