Unidirectional Stranded Micro-Bundle Optical Cable Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing micro-bundle optical cables face issues with non-uniform stress distribution among reinforcing elements, inconsistent force direction, excessive attenuation, and prioritization of optical fibers over micro-bundle tubes during stretching, leading to suboptimal tensile properties.
Innovation Solution
A unidirectional stranded micro-bundle optical cable design featuring micro-bundle tubes with a spiral stranding mode, a reinforcing layer with opposite stranding direction, and a water-blocking tape with a tearing rope, ensuring consistent force direction and reducing excess length consumption, along with a manufacturing process that controls pay-off tension and angles to minimize abrasion and ensure even wrapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the reinforcing element and micro-bundle tube are directly placed straight, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the optical fiber inside the micro-bundle tube is stressed first, making it impossible to ensure the tensile properties of the optical cables
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spiral stranding configuration where the micro-bundle tube and reinforcing element are arranged in a spiral pattern around the central optical fiber. This curved configuration ensures that during tensile testing, the micro-bundle tube and reinforcing element are stressed first due to their spiral path, protecting the optical fiber from direct stress and ensuring proper tensile properties.
2Loss of substance
If the micro-bundle tube is stranded with a small stranding pitch, then the excess length consumption is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the stranding pitch parameter to a specific range (800-900mm) that balances two competing requirements: it is small enough to reduce excess length consumption of the optical fiber, yet large enough to be manufacturable with standard equipment and tolerances. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between material efficiency and manufacturing feasibility.
3Reliability
If the reinforcing element is arranged to bear uniform force, then the tensile properties are improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral stranding configuration naturally distributes stress uniformly across the reinforcing element and micro-bundle tube during tensile testing. The helical path ensures that force is applied evenly along the length of these protective elements, allowing them to bear load uniformly without requiring complex additional structures or mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A unidirectional stranded micro-bundle optical cable and a manufacturing process thereof, where the unidirectional stranded micro-bundle optical cable provided by the present disclosure includes micro-bundle tubes, a reinforcing layer, a water-blocking tape and an outer sheath; a first water-blocking yarn is arranged between the micro-bundle tubes, a tearing rope is arranged in the water-blocking tape, and a reinforcing member is arranged in the outer sheath; the micro-bundle tubes adopt a spiral stranding with a stranding mode of unidirectional stranding and a stranding pitch of 800 mm to 900 mm; the reinforcing layer adopts a spiral stranding with a stranding mode of unidirectional stranding and a stranding pitch of 600 mm to 800 mm; a stranding direction of the micro-bundle tube is opposite to a stranding direction of the reinforcing layer.