Pre-Terminated Optical Cable With Staggered Connectors for Duct Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of high fiber count optical cables is time-consuming and expensive due to the need for skilled labor and specialized equipment for splicing and terminating connectors, and pre-terminated cables face challenges in being installed through ducts due to connector size.
Innovation Solution
A pre-terminated optical cable design with a termination segment having a diameter equal to or smaller than the main body, featuring staggered multi-fiber connectors and a temporary protective wrapper to allow installation through existing ducts, reducing the need for on-site splicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If pre-terminated connectors are attached to optical fibers, then installation time and labor costs are reduced, but the cable diameter increases making it difficult to install through existing ducts
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is divided into a main body portion and a termination segment portion. The termination segment contains the pre-attached connectors and is separated from the main cable body, allowing the main cable to maintain a small diameter for duct installation while the termination segment handles the connector functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The termination segment is designed to be collapsible or compressible during installation, allowing it to be nested within or alongside the main cable body. This enables the termination segment to pass through ducts during installation, then expand to its functional form after installation.
2Quantity of substance
If high fiber count cables are used, then data transfer capacity increases, but the number of splicing and termination operations increases making installation more time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple optical fibers are pre-terminated with connectors at the factory before cable installation. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site splicing and termination operations, significantly improving installation efficiency while maintaining high fiber count capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If connectors are attached to optical fibers before installation, then on-site splicing is eliminated, but the cable structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cable structure is segmented into a simple main body for installation and a separate termination segment containing all connectors. This segmentation simplifies the installation process while containing the structural complexity within the termination segment that can be removed or managed separately.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical cable includes a main body and a termination segment extending from an end of the main body. The main body includes middle portions of optical fibers. The termination segment includes end portions of the optical fibers and multi-fiber connectors attached to the end portions of the optical fibers. The multi-fiber connectors are staggered along a length of the termination segment.