Traceable Optical Fiber Cable With Dual-Melt Adhesive Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical fiber cable installation and maintenance processes face challenges in performing sheath stripping operations and tracing buried cable positions, particularly due to complex procedures and high installation costs, as well as the difficulty in locating buried cables quickly and accurately in case of damage.
Innovation Solution
The optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment incorporates a metal tape bonded to the collective core with a tracing wire and a sheath, utilizing hot melt adhesives with different melting points to facilitate easy sheath stripping and tracing, featuring a wire guide and cooling system to ensure efficient bonding and tracing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a long-distance optical fiber cable is buried under the ground, then the cable installation cost is reduced and negotiation complexity is avoided, but it becomes difficult to locate the burying position quickly and accurately when damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A tracing wire is introduced as an intermediary element that runs alongside the optical fiber cable through the entire manufacturing process. This tracing wire serves as a mediator that connects the buried cable to the surface, enabling location detection without requiring direct access to the buried cable itself. The tracing wire can be detected using conventional wire tracing equipment, solving the problem of locating buried cables.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracing wire is preliminarily installed during the cable manufacturing process, before the cable is buried. By placing the tracing wire in position during manufacturing, the system prepares for future location needs without adding complexity to the burial process. The tracing wire is already in place to guide future maintenance and repair operations.
2Device complexity
If a conventional sheath bonding structure is used, then the cable structure is simple, but the sheath stripping operation for intermediate branch or end connecting in the field is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding structure transitions from uniform bonding along the entire cable to localized bonding zones. By using adhesives with different melting points in different locations, the cable creates zones with different bonding characteristics. The lower melting point adhesive creates a localized soft zone that facilitates sheath stripping at specific locations while maintaining strong bonding elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding characteristics of the cable are changed by varying the melting point of adhesives along the cable length. This parameter change creates distinct bonding zones: strong bonding zones (higher melting point adhesive) for structural integrity and soft zones (lower melting point adhesive) for easy sheath stripping. This allows the same cable structure to provide both strong bonding and easy maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If hot melt adhesives are used for bonding the metal tape to the collective core, then the bonding process is simplified, but the sheath stripping operation becomes difficult unless selective coating is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive coating is applied selectively to different portions of the metal tape rather than uniformly across the entire tape. The first adhesive is coated on one portion while the second adhesive with lower melting point is coated on another portion. This local differentiation allows the bonding process to remain simple while creating specific zones that facilitate sheath stripping.
Solution Approach 2:
The melting point parameter of the adhesive is varied across different locations of the metal tape. By using adhesives with different melting points in different locations, the system maintains simple hot melt bonding processing while creating localized soft zones that enable easy sheath stripping during field operations.
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 solution enables straightforward sheath stripping and end connecting operations, as well as easy tracing of buried optical fiber cables, reducing installation costs and minimizing downtime in case of damage by ensuring rapid and accurate location of buried cables.
Implementation Method 1
the first, second adhesives are hot melt adhesives
Implementation Method 2
a melting point of the first adhesive is higher than a melting point of the second adhesive
Implementation Method 3
an upper portion of the collective core portion to which the metal tape is bonded is heated before the collective core portion to which the metal tape is bonded enters the second coating portion
Implementation Method 4
a cooling portion installed behind the sheath fabrication portion to cool the sheath portion
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment and a traceable optical fiber cable manufactured thereby, and more particularly, to optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment which facilitates a sheath stripping operation for an intermediate branch or end connecting operation in the field, and also, makes it easy to trace a burying position, and a traceable optical fiber cable manufactured thereby.